Beauty and the Beasts
by wolfgirl535
Summary: Magick is a mysterious force. Some say it's only a story, cast by wicked old hags. But in truth, magick is in all of us, an art some embrace over others. Long since gone are the ancient times in the dead of night where the Covens of old would dance under the light of the moon to weave their Craft. Some wish to revive this lost art, but some magicks are meant to be forgotten.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

"Acid again? She said she wasn't going to do this anymore." As the base from the DJ raved on, the girls found the only way they could be heard was by shouting.

"Its not that bad, she just ran outside to talk to trees. She's probably just getting used to it by now."

"What, and you think that's a good thing? Don't encourage her."

"Hey! Those trees were really special!" Jackie attempted to stand for a moment, but quickly let gravity take over again without a fight. "And they told me I was special. See, they talked to me. They told me the meaning of it all. It was glorious! All those pretty colors." "Grabbing the bottle of water she has been provided, Jackie flung back her head downing half. When she came up for air she gave a curious look to the two ladies in their early twenties standing over her. "Who are you again?"

The bleach blonde with hair down her back knelt beside her newly met friend. "It's Kassie, hun. And this is...I'm sorry what was your name again?"

The third girl, a fair skinned, sun-kissed dirty blond in jeans just shook her head. "Never mind, just help me get her to the sofa."

This was nothing new around this social crowd. All 80's and 90's children in their teens and twenties trying desperately to recapture the wild, free loving, hippie days of their now shut in parents. Already there had been an incident with mushrooms and someone who thought they could be the next WWE fighter. Of course the poor couple he had drop kicked weren't detoured from each others lips, even as they were being shooed from the furniture. "Alright, set her down nice and slow."

"Does this happen often?" Kassie sat beside her tripping friend, grabbing the drinks they had placed moments ago on the coffee table.

"All the time, like I said before. Shit, I am too drunk for this."

"You seem fine to me."

She scoffed and downed the rest of her vodka, "Yea, I'm good at that by now." She rose then. Jackie would be fine, as fine as she could be at this point. And she needed another drink

* * *

The sounds of clamor and heavy breathing stirred InuYasha to conciseness. For a time his vision failed him, and he forgot where he was. But when the smell of blood came to him with the sensation of cold clean iron around his wrist and ankles, he knew.

"Ah, InuYasha. How good of you to join us."

A low growl hummed in InuYasha's throat and his muscles tensed in alertness. "Naraku. Release me. Now."

Naraku turned to the tense half-breed ready to explode with his well known cocky smirk. He was a man that could not be ignored, even with his yukata disheveled and his wavy black hair in all directions, he still looked sophisticated and well together. He had an air of propriety about him, and an intense expectation of respect. "Now, now, let's not fuss, less you disturb your friends."

It was the first time InuYasha had noticed them. Likewise, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome were chained to an iron slab which they all sat upon. "You will let them go right now!"

"Ah!" Naraku spoke up quick then, ceasing InuYasha's struggle. "Be still, Half-Breed. The wards on your shackles will not be as forgiving."

Indeed Naraku had spoken truthfully. Buddhist wards of binding lay engraved deep into the iron that held him. It's power was silent to his sense, but he knew their affect on him would not. "Naraku you bastard! I will get out of this and I'll kill you! Do you hear me? I'll kill you!"

"Inu...Yasha..."

The weak sound of Kagome's voice brought him back to reality and the situation at hand. Naraku had them in his grasp, right where he wanted them. "What do you want with us, you bastard?"

"Why, to bear witness to this great spectacle." He turned then to a stone alter, where the two estranged daughters, Kanna and Kagura, stood on either side. With a slight gesture on Naraku's part, the two women began to work. The bowl that Kagura held in her ridged painted hands held a deep and slightly viscous liquid that she poured about the alter in a circle. It took little for InuYasha's nose to tell him it was blood. With a few candles lit Kanna moved to the stone in her ghostly fashion to place her mirror in the very center before her master. He lifted his hands to the skies and drank in the night. "It is time."

* * *

'Too much...too much...' Everyone watcher her slip past them, a determined look in her eyes and an empty bottle of vodka in her hand. They all knew where she was going, even those who weren't sentient enough to remember their own names, and let her past without a second thought. After her quick but unpleasant prayer to the porcelain god, she decided not to move just yet. Her legs felt weak as did her stomach, but that wasn't what kept her glued to the bathroom floor. In here there was quiet, there was calm, and she could tend only to herself instead of taking care of all the other smashed people outside. She had always sworn to her mother up and down that she wasn't an alcoholic, and she probably wasn't, but she couldn't deny the enjoyment she received when she held that fifth in her hand and it could be all about her for just a little while, no matter how short that while might be.

With one final sigh, she found the strength to rise from the tile and rejoin the living. But as she passed the vanity she noticed something in the corner of her eye that stopped her cold. There, deep in the mirror, it seemed to move. It swayed to and fro, like movements on the ocean floor. It drew her in, watching as the glass itself seemed to ripple as liquid metal. It hypnotized and she couldn't look away. "Yo, Kassie! You gotta check this shit out!" But the flowing didn't stop, only seemed to grow more and more.

* * *

"What is all this, Naraku? What are you hoping to achieve?" InuYasha's wild husky voice could barely be heard over the crashing thunder that had rolled in. Everyone was awake now. Miroku and Sango were huddled together for support. Kagome had taken to cowering behind InuYasha, clinging to his arm.

Naraku could only chuckle, "I grow tired of Kikyo refusing me. Instead I will summon a priestess greater then she. A priestess who will do my every bidding and crush my enemies under the weight of her power." The snow white mirror laying peacefully on the alter rose as if to the very sound of his voice meeting his eyes. It twisted perfectly on its side, the very glass rippling as it went. "You will bear witness to this, and tell the underworld to prepare."

* * *

"Kassie! I said get in here! Wow this is so fucking trippy." The mirror twisted and spun. It wasn't much of a mirror anymore, but a vortex of purples and blues and whites, humming softly. It drew her in so heavily she felt herself leaning toward it. In truth she seemed to be moving forward without her body actually performing any action. Thinking that her drunken haze was letting her give in to gravity she braced her hands against the vanities counter. But it did no good. Still she moved toward the humming vortex, sliding forward, being pulled in.

"Hey. Somebody help me here." She felt herself lifting up over the counter, the vortex taking her in. Not a vortex anymore, but a black hole, meant to take only her inside. She grabbed the borders and the walls, anything that was sturdy. "Somebody get in here! I need help!" Her legs were in now. The pull was so strong. Maybe it was her weak muscles or her weakened mind, but no matter what the reason, she was loosing and being sucked in. "Help me! Somebody please help me!" But it was too late, her final words only an echo on the vortex walls. She fell threw a spinning world, but it wasn't a gentle pull, it was cold and hateful, tugging angrily. Her struggles were useless now. Her only comfort being a light she thought she could see deep inside.

* * *

The mirror hung above the alter high, spinning and growing so fast. No longer a mirror but a portal, a doorway to usher in whatever it had taken hold of on the other side. The skies shrieked and cried out in pain, angry at the defiling of nature taking place. It roared with one last release, a bolt crashing down only inches before the alter. And then something began to form threw, a woman bringing forth new life into their world. The four chained down watched in horror for what was to come.

"Behold! The coming of my Dark Priestess!"

The doorway dropped the girl down with a hard sound from inside her lungs. She lay draped over the stone as any other sacrifice it surely had received, breathing hard.

"Here me now, Woman." Naraku stepped forward, placing his hands inches from her face. "I am your lord and master who has summoned you here before me. I command you now to destroy these creatures before us." The girl only ached, her mind spinning with her stomach again. She felt the bile threaten up her throat but forced herself to be controlled. As she turned to try and take in her surroundings she found the alter did end, and instead crumbled down to the cold earth. She wanted to lay there still, and try to regain herself from her painful forced journey, but a strong hand pulled her up to her feet instead by the collar of her shirt. "I gave you an order, Woman, and you will obey." He tossed her then slightly, where she stumbled to gain her footing taking hold of the alter to find balance. The noises coming from her were horrid, her voice horse and ragged full of pain. Only then did she see the four strange people chained. Her intoxicated mind not really seeing them, only understanding that they were indeed there. "Destroy them. I command you." His voice, for what she could rationalize of it, was smooth, angry without being harsh. She could only look into what she thought was a handsome young face, and frown.

"You're crazy."

Before she had time to react she found his hand digging into her shoulder, rending her to her knees. She cried out for release. "I won't stand for impudence, Woman. I am your lord, you will do my bidding." He bit down harder into her flesh with his jagged nails, drawing blood. It was an unknown sensation, this kind of pain. Such a shock, her mind couldn't even come to the conclusion that she should scream. "Now do it!"

It wasn't training, she had no real skill in fighting besides what her body had always told her to do, and again it directed her here. This was instinct, she wasn't thinking, she was reacting. A brief moment of sobriety filled her and she reached down her shirt to a knife she kept there. With a simple flick of her thumb the sliding sheath was tucked away from the fixed blade and she spun till she heard the ripping of flesh. Threw it went, tearing away with a fowl squishing sound hammering her ear. The man gasped, stepping back in shock. He let his hand settle over his stomach where skin should have been. It took all he had left to meet her eyes, they were hazel, all green with roots of brown trailing threw, and they were on fire. He let out one comment, only one. It wasn't a simple threat, it was a statement of fact.

"You will pay for this." And then he was gone, in a puff of smoke the body left her sight, leaving only a wooden doll on the ground with a knick at its stomach behind. For a moment she believed the last of her neurons had finally died.

Kagura wasted no time. In a flash she plucked one of her feathers and gathered her child sister up into the air, escaping off into the distance.

"Kagura you coward!" InuYasha couldn't hold back his rage. What he had witnessed kept him silent long enough. But it was for nothing, the witch of the winds was long gone from them, and Naraku had truly never been there. But his attention was turned now to the strange girl before them, becoming sick behind the alter. Her stomach must have failed her. InuYasha thought it odd though to react in such a way, she hadn't actually killed anyone.

"InuYasha, can you break our shackles?" Sango had been trying to do just that, he could see by how ravaged her hands appeared. It was a thought that hadn't crossed his mind. The binding spell on his shackles would hold him down, but perhaps it wouldn't be affected by trying to free the others.

"I'll try." It took barely any effort on his part. Like a horse swatting away a fly the iron all but crumbled in his hands. Now free, Sango went to work on her half-demon companion's binds.

Across from them the girl at the alter rose, her stomach finally empty again. She didn't know how long she had been heaving there on her hands and knees, but it was long enough for the four people whom she was asked to kill to find their way over. She looked up, her eyes glazed over with only partial understanding. A young girl in a sailor uniform knelt down beside her, with what seemed to be a look of worry and care, "Are you alright?"

The girl blinked a few times, processing the question given to her. "You know, that's a really good question." Wagging her finger in front of the girl with chocolate orbs she practically flopped herself onto her other arm for balance.

The four looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Another knelt down to her level, dressed in religious robes, "Are you well, child?"

Again, the girl blinked multiple times, unable to keep an impulsive laugh down. "Actually, I am quite intoxicated." Another laugh she couldn't keep down. "Oh who am I kidding, I'm fucked up."

InuYasha watched her curiously. Now he understood the seeming unnecessary vomiting. "I don't sense any spiritual power from her. I thought she was suppose to be a priestess?"

The girl let out yet another burst of drunken laughter, "Does the doggy need a funeral?"

InuYasha let out a growl at the comment, but Miroku's hand settled him. "There will be nothing to gain from her at this point. In the morning she will be able to answer our questions."

She snapped then, waving her hand in the monk's direction, her eyes heavy and glazed, "You got the right idea, priesty guy. You got any water?"

"Uh, I do." From the yellow backpack she kept with her the girl in the short green skirt produced a canteen. "Are you dehydrated?"

The girl took the canteen without a second thought. At first she began to down the cool comforting liquid, but stopped, thinking better of her actions, changed to taking small sips. "I don't want a nasty hangover in the morning. You know what I'm talking about right?" Her question wasn't to anyone in particular, but she didn't wait for an answer to be given. "Of course you do."

The others did indeed think her very insane, while she just sat in the grass sipping away without a care.

* * *

The crickets singing in the moonlight woke her better then any alarm clock ever could. She quickly became aware she was not in her comfortable bed with her stuffed animals and bean pillows. Her loud fan that gave off a blue glow was not blowing on her feet and her cat wasn't there begging for treats. Instead she was in a dark place exposed to the elements, with people she didn't know, holding an empty canteen for dear life. Her mind was in pieces. She understood some of what she was around only from what her fractured memory could tell her, but that didn't make it any the less confusing. Her feet picked her up and took her to a clearing not far away. Quietly she stepped, her heavy steel toed boots removed letting her feel the cold wet grass underneath. When she stopped she could hear other footsteps behind her, not even trying to stay hidden.

"I've never seen so many stars before", she whispered, barely enough for him to hear, "It's beautiful."

"You sobered up then?" The voice was a rough one, and husky, yet calm. The voice of the strange one in red with white hair, if she remembered right. He seemed to be taking his time with her. Certainly her most gentle experience so far.

"Yes. The water helped."

The man took one step toward her but she stopped him with her eyes. "No closer." There was no anger in her voice, it was smooth like a lullaby, but no less powerful. "I don't trust you yet."

It was only now that he was able to properly look her over, the light of the full moon coming down over her head. Her eyes were a light green with little rivers of brown inside, skin peachy with only slight color, and hair a dark blonde with a silver shine from the sun cut short to frame her round face. She wore a dark purple top decorated with a checkered pattern, and blue pants. Her boots had been strange, they were hard when he had removed them as she drifted to sleep and heavy, laced up to her knees with a distinct smell of leather. She wore nothing flashy as did many of the women of this day and age, only two necklaces of different lengths draped around her neck, both silver, one of a howling wolf, and one of a star with a circle keeping it inside. Under the subtle fragrances that of her clothes and hair, she gave off a metallic smell, like copper. She looked peaceful there under the moon, as if she belonged among the night, and if she fully comprehended the severity of her situation, she didn't show it. "We have something in common then."

"Then we seem to be at an impasse. How do you suppose we rectify this?"

The man with hair like moonshine gave her a foxy smirk, "Naraku is going to come after you. And I'm going to go after Naraku. That good enough for you?"

She nodded, "It's a start. What's your name?"

He shot her a hard look full of daggers. "No, no. That's not how this works. You answer my questions."

"No. We're doing this my way." He watched her strangely, her confidence surprised him. Truth was she was terrified. Even in the dark the ears visible threw his hair and the sword at his side weren't invisible to her. Even having been drunk not a few hours ago, she knew she wasn't in Kansas anymore. Kansas wasn't even in the same area code to wherever she was now. But she wouldn't let anyone know that. She would be strong and she wouldn't let anyone take advantage, no matter how easily they could squish her like a bug. If she was going to die here, it wasn't going to be from her lack of trying.

"InuYasha", he finally said. "And yours?"

She looked at him thoughtfully, seeing the truth in his eyes. And for a moment her fear left her of this man and for this place she didn't understand.

"Rei."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

The sun broke into the day like a godly dream, with the colors of pink and orange dancing with them. All around, the world began to wake with no hurry at all. Peace hung in the air for what brief moment it could be so. Fresh grass and bright leaves hung laced with glittering diamonds in the starting light. The beasts of the wild felt them fall in their eyes and nose, their feet humming softly as they happened along to greet the day.

The song of the morning weighed heavily on her heart. Rei had said little to her new found companions since they had left at first light. It wasn't that she refused to talk, but rather spoke only when spoken to, and her answers were so direct and closed that she gave little else with which to make conversation. She wasn't in the least bit interested in small talk. She was taking everything in stride. All of this was madness. As if she'd stepped head first into one of her own short stories. None of this could possibly be real. She half believed that all this was in her head, and she half convinced herself that such a thought was true. One good blow to the head here and she would wake to the sounds of an EKG and a deliberator over her head, the wails of her sobbing friends letting her know it was all real. "No more drinking," she would have to promise to her mother, "Never again." What a lousy New Years Eve.

"So, Rei, you said that you were at a party when it happened?"

"That's right." The chipper girl, her name was Kagome, hadn't given up quite yet, though the uneasy sound in her voice gave away her desperate reach for anything to talk about. She had moved back now to walk by Rei's side, her smile a slightly awkward one.

"What kind of a party?"

Rei's voice stayed even and blasé, "Just a little get together."

"Your friends there-?"

"When are we going to arrive?"

The girl looked a little flustered, suddenly this foreign blonde turned so direct, and Kagome's slight fluster to find an answer gave it all away. "We should be there by tomorrow."

"Good." Kagome had told Rei that the fiend she had attacked had summoned her from another time, that now she was stuck in the past, and a doorway in this distant village would lead her home. She wasn't sure how far from home this doorway would take her, but at least she would be in the ball park, instead of way out field.

The path they took was supposedly direct, though it felt to be winding. Earth made to look like a trail from the overabundant trampling it had received, but that didn't keep the grass from trying to overtake what had once been its land. Peaceful, for what it was, that could certainly be said in any other circumstance, but Rei never would've noticed. She was too concerned with seeing the end, and an old woman named Kaede whom, she was told, would be at her aid. Everyone had stepped lightly around her, as if she were a doll of china about to break. They were easily mistaken.

Still, the memory of the night before was vivid in her mind. She had fallen here from a frat house bathroom, into a place she just did not understand. It had been cold that night, the sky threatening rain. Lightning had flashed, and the deep stillness had made the air hard to breathe. Even now the puncture on her shoulder gave off a low ache. Rei remembered the splendor of the starry night sky, for it had been unlike anything she'd ever known. Countless gemstones filled the blackness, like the glitter on a beach from the hundreds upon thousands of sand grains. Home was nothing like this. Home. This apparent places' future. Such an idea she could not conceive.

"Are you not the least bit interested in knowing what Naraku summoned you for?" The other woman only turned her head back slightly, her long luxurious dark hair cascading down her shoulder from the movement. She was a woman of elegance, but sincere power. It was all in the way she carried herself, there was no need to flaunt what she had, all her beauty, all her style, all her strength, it radiated off in excess. Even her name, Sango, was elegant.

Rei didn't let the dark haired beauty intimidate her, but Sango certainly didn't see anything to be intimidated about in return. It wasn't that they liked each other, or didn't like each other, neither really just gave it any sort of thought. "Honestly, I couldn't care less."

"Well I for one am interested," she turned away then. Unlike Kagome, she didn't have such a desperate need to be friendly. "Naraku must've wanted you for some purpose."

"Indeed so," the second gentleman, at least he sounded like one, gave Sango a look of well practiced sophistication. Cut clean and calculated, there wasn't a flaw about him, this holy man named Miroku, even in the way he parted his well groomed hair. He knew how to be the man of any woman's dreams, though Rei had to wonder if it was just his natural personality or all an act, "Though I suppose it's unimportant now."

"You're damn right!" InuYasha scoffed, amusing by his own untold joke, "Naraku wanted a powerful priestess. And all he got was this weak pathetic human."

Rei heard herself scoff at this and found her mouth unable to stop, "You're one to talk." This certainly captured the half-demon's attention. He thought he would have a good laugh over whatever the girl behind him had to say. "You think you're this great and powerful demon? You're the one who's pathetic. The demons I know are far more powerful. You may be strong, but you're just as mortal as me. Your heart or your head, I sever that and you're just as dead as I would be. But the demons I know can't be killed, they can only be sent away for a little while and you'll never know when they're back. They are cold and they are cunning, and even as they stand over your dying body you will never know they were even there. Some demon you are."

Rei wasn't sure where her outburst had come from. Her dangerous temper was not unknown to her, but she had thought herself under more control. Of course that no longer seemed to be the case, as the shocked and destroyed look in InuYasha's eyes made very clear. But really the outburst had surprised everyone. Her monologue had more words in it then everything else she had said since they'd all met, combined.

"You think I'm weak, bitch?" InuYasha was fuming, his golden eyes like liquid fire.

"I think you think you're stronger then you actually are."

The angry dog demon was about to let loose another furious comment when the sounds of screaming came into ear shot. The four looked at each other for a brief moment, speaking only with their eyes and the understanding of what the screams were surely for. A moment later they all took to running up the path, toward the deathly hollers. Rei stood startled, it wasn't really what she expected, but before her brain could even formulate a reasonable action to take, Kagome was again at her side, wrapping her delicate little fingers around Rei's small wrist. "Come on!" she shouted with a little yank, just enough to make Rei understand that they were heading toward the possible and all too likely danger. At least this debacle wasn't going to be boring.

It didn't take long for the two girls to catch up to the others, Rei certainly wasn't putting up a fight. The shouts came from a wretched looking man, the years had not been kind to him. All that he wore looked tattered and frayed, certainly it had been well used. His hands were wrinkled, no stranger to hard work, and his face held all the weight of his experiences. The nicest thing on him were his sandals. In a time where the only transportation were the legs the gods gave you, it seemed appropriate that getting to where you needed to go need at least not be painful.

"Slow down, Old Man. Just tell us what happened." InuYasha had his hands on the older mans shaking shoulders. Apparently he was too frightened to make much sense.

"My granddaughter she, she was taken! By a great spider demon!"

Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders? Rei may not have known anything about this impossible place, but she had the wits to put two and two together. If this spider could steal a child it certainly was nothing she could squish between her fingers without a second thought.

"Where did it go?" Sango was already calculating, Rei could see it in her eyes, the way they pierced straight on, not seeing what was right in front of her.

"There!" The old man pointed directly in front of him, "Into the forest." They looked on to the wall of the massive wood. It was shadowed and eerie at the threshold. Where could they possibly begin looking for a little girl in a place like that? The old man took hold of InuYasha now, squeezing with all his strength, which was mostly none at all, "Please! Save my Yuki! She's all I have left!"

"We'll get her back!" InuYasha certainly had confidence in himself. "I'll rip that filly beast to shreds!"

It was all anyone needed to hear. Quickly they dashed into the woods, the old man's cries of thanks and worry left behind them. Rei could see her companions being consumed by folds in the dark. All too quickly Kagome's little hand had grasped her again and pulled. The coaxing was unnecessary, Rei wasn't unwilling to travel the wood, but she would be lying if she said she knew what she was doing. The heavy grimness of this place was nothing like the woods she knew. Even in the dark of night, when childhood fears had consumed her, Rei had never felt this uneasy and alert. Of course then she'd always had a dog by her side. There was something of a dog here now, though she couldn't call him loyal.

"InuYasha, what does your nose tell you?" Miroku had changed slightly and Rei knew this was his true self. Not the royal worthy prince he pretended he was, but this man of serious action. It was much more pleasant to be around.

Rei found InuYasha on the very earthen floor, his nose turned low, acting his species. "I can't smell anything in this damp place. It's all mixed in."

"It's tracks should be easy to follow then." To Rei's surprise, Sango had changed into some sort of black suit adorned with pads of pinkish red on her shoulders and elbows with her dress draped over her shoulder. As she pulled her hair up high, there was nothing but masterfulness about her presence. She held nothing back, everything with her was out in the open. Rei couldn't help but admit she admired that about the woman.

"We need to hurry. That little girl could be hurt." InuYasha watched Kagome now as she approached, Rei not trailing far behind. The sight brought him furry.

"Kagome why did you bring her here? She's useless. She'll just get in the way."

"Where shall I go then? Canada?" It was a country he'd surely never heard of and so his confusion defeated most of the comments purpose, but it couldn't be helped. Rei refused to take any guff off this aggressive man. He brought out her mouth.

But InuYasha thought nothing of it as he lifted his nose to the sky. The particles in the air were spread so thin picking up a scent was unlikely, but determined as he was, something was bound to trigger in him. Taking Sango's suggestion they all began to search for tracks. Kagome kept trying to make herself useful but pointing out this or that. But the others, more skilled in their practice, kept brushing off her comments till she decided to instead keep herself quiet.

Rei said nothing, not fully understanding what she was walking into, nor really giving it much thought. Finally after a time, she did speak up, "Maybe we should go gather up some more people?"

But the others mostly ignored her, the monk fiddling with the beads around his delicate wrist, "With the speed that spider demons eat their prey after catching them, it would be highly irregular to waste such time."

"Yes but if we had more people here with us, then we could cover more ground."

"Indeed so, if our situation were less dire. But it is not."

Rei shook her head at how callous the comment, "There is a little girl in danger here!"

"Yeah, and you wasting our time isn't helping. You didn't have to come, but if you're gonna follow us, then grow a pair."

Rei clenched her jaw in frustration. That InuYasha had disregarded her completely just like Miroku had and that he implied her suggestion stemmed from fear made her want to kick something, especially since it was true. It didn't help that this whole experience was new to her, let alone that she was just suddenly expected to know what to do. If this was some kind of a game, she didn't see the humor.

She took another moment to examine her surroundings. There was no sun but small streaks to be found in this place, the leaves purposely creating a space for them and their own. There was wildness here, things she'd only ever written about. But wasn't this suppose to be what she had always wanted? A little adventure? A different life? Everyone had spent all her twenty-one years telling her what she was to think and feel and be. She had always wanted more. More of what she wasn't sure, just more of something, more of anything. When would her life finally begin? Might happen sometime this somewhere.

And then in the distance, she could hear a scattered sound. It was too faint to make out clearly at first, but as she looked ahead she could see the shape of a black mass growing in the distance. Suddenly all her apprehension came flooding back. It grew larger now, coming within slight view, and for a moment she imagined it looking right into her eyes. She shivered.

"Please...hit the mark..."

Out of the corners of her shaking eyes Rei could see Kagome, standing with her tense shoulders pulling back a bow. She was shocked to see this fragile girl take such action. Rei wondered if she even knew how to use one of those thing. But the arrow that went flying next answered her question.

A disgruntled sound of displeasure let them all new the arrow had hit and hit well. Kagome pulled another quickly back for a second shot.

"Kagome, you keep that girl safe." Rei didn't hear InuYasha's words, all she could hear was the heavy sounds of breathing, her eyes fixed on the glowing red orbs, eight all standing in a row, watching her.

InuYasha wasted no time. From the air he brought his hand down like the gate of god upon the beast, striking well. Sango had run to another side, to flank the creature Rei guessed. Miroku only moved forward slightly fiddling with the sacred beads again. He looked to be waiting but for what Rei didn't know.

The creature moved away as best it could, with an arrow in his abdomen and now a missing leg. "Ha ha! Pathetic beast! Too stupid to know how to fight back!" But as he tried again to lay down a perfect blow, the spider raised a leg in anticipation to strike back. Stunned as he was, it allowed InuYasha to finally catch a glimpse of the giant arachnid's underbelly. "Miroku! Don't use your Wind Tunnel! That kid is wrapped underneath!" The monk looked frustrated, whatever this Wind Tunnel was, it was too much of a risk, taking away a lot of the advantage.

Hungry was this creature. Few ventured into its wood, for how ominous it did appear, and there were weeks the beast would find itself without a meal. Times often called that it venture further out, when the prey was easy enough to catch. A child was most easy. It only took its fill, and the simple farmers of this valley knew better then to travel the roads too close. There would be no harm in its feasting and nothing too great to end its wickedness.

Now in full view Rei laid eyes on the most monstrous form she had ever seen. By shape she would have called it a spider, but it was larger then any wild animal of nature, and twice as foul as it understood and chose its actions rather then adhering to instinct. Horns adorned its fur head and right behind was its great swollen body, a bloated bag, swaying away and back with its movements. All of it was black, even the visible hairs that adorned its high bent legs like pine needles. At each end there was a claw. And its eyes, those same eyes she had sworn to be watching her were indeed doing so now. They held her captive bearing into her very soul. Her heart lay filled with dread.

And as it fixed its whole body in her direction turning on its creaking legs, it moved toward her with horrible speed. It came between Rei and Kagome. For now it seemed to ignore Kagome as its prey, only seeing Rei with interest as her light reflecting necklaces attracted its attention. The beast rose before her, its dripping fangs an exclamation mark of what was to come. Rei could hear Kagome screaming out her name.

But InuYasha was there to take hold of her wrist, his fingers like a vice and pulled her away as you would a doll. On the ground now, with the mighty man her barrier she could only watch. She saw that the sword InuYasha held in his hand, now unsheathed had grown to a monstrous size before her. He swung it down now before the creature with practiced strength but it only leapt away, understanding its danger by staying too close.

Sango rose from her place in the trees, a polished curved mass in her hand that she tossed with but a flick of her mind. But the beasts body was too old, it had seen many layers over its wicked years, and no weapon from the hands of a human could ever pierce its hide, even a weapon made of demon bones. Her retaliation was met with a discharge of strings. They fell upon her in a rain pinning her to the ground, struggles only holding her there tighter.

Kagome sprang to her feet to Sango's side. The warrior shouted to detour the girl from trying, but there was much stubbornness in her. Struggle as she might with the sticky threads they only seemed to grow stronger and more abundant, finding their way now up Kagome's arms.

InuYasha could see now that the beast was moving in closer. Leaping forward his voice reached high, "Move, Kagome!" But the bite came too fast, all he could do was take it for her instead, the tips of the spider's fangs just barely piercing the skin so as to only deliver enough venom to still the flesh. Meals were best kept alive for freshness. To his feet he crumbled, making sounds of anguish and inner struggle. This spider was no fool and InuYasha could only wonder how practiced it was with the amount of venom its victims needed.

Without his personal weapon to aid him Miroku was left only with the golden staff he carried to fend off this demon. The beast was now turned facing away from him, a simple opening, yet not a simple task. If Sango's mighty Hiraikotsu could only graze, what little could his staff accomplish. With a battle cry he brought down his strike, hearing the sizzling burn of holy power work into the beast's skin. As it turned he could tell it was slower now, but not by much. It lunged for him, its huge size giving false promises to its speed but a roll kept Miroku from harm. He brandished from his robes a long rectangular slip of paper, on it written several symbols in another language. With a toss it landed above the spider's eyes, the skin letting out a hiss at the touch. The creature let out a sound of discomfort, and staggered to keep its balance nearly falling twice. Miroku took the opportunity for another quick strike, too quick for a human to catch with the eyes, not too quick for a demon. The staff lay clutched in the spiders jaws, letting the tips of its fangs pierce his unprotected hand, and he too fell to the earth in a heap.

Kagome let loose another of her arrows, the head glowing with a faint purple hue. The leg it hit wouldn't give way, only furthered the stagger it was left with, and turned with the slowness of anticipation.

"Kagome run! You must run!" Sango struggled again now, knowing it was in vain but unable to watch as the demon looked at her friend with hungry wicked eyes, eyes that held all their deaths in them. Though she tried to shoot again a well placed swing to the head was all it took, Rei's last hope had left her.

Kagome was laying face down with the monster hanging over her, salivating at its prey. Sango was already bound by cords, wound haphazardly from ankles to shoulders and the two men struggled with the poison infecting their systems. The beast was already struggling with how to take Kagome away.

Rei didn't wait to see what should be done, or if she was brave. "Hey! You sick fuck!" She tossed a rock, sure to let the beast know her cries were directed for it. She shook her necklaces that they may grab a little light to shine them right in one of the eight eyes. Angered by the disturbance it quickly took charge, in a few short bounds it would have her. From between her breasts again she brought forth her little knife that she held with both hands. Knees bent, the very wind shook her. With a leap it was on her knocking her to her back on the ground. The other's screams never reached her while her own filled her ears as the great straddling spider lifted its head to bring down for a bite. Upward she thrust with all the meager strength she could find and she pierced flesh.

When the gods didn't welcome her she found the courage to open her eyes, meeting the eyes of the beast before her, the largest being the size of her very head. Too afraid to scream she only shook, until she noticed the light that seemed to be dying in them and how wet her hands seemed to feel. Finally she saw her knife, buried deep inside the spiders upper jaw, slightly angled to reach its brain. Within a moment the bright red orbs died dull and a great weight without legs to support it came crashing upon her.


	3. Chapter 3

"This is it?" Leaning over the frame, Rei peered down into darkness. "This whole?"

InuYasha scoffed for her brazen comment of foolishness. "It's a well, fool."

"If it were a well there would be water in it." Her reply was harsher then she'd have liked, but her sudden anxious nerves clouded her judgment. The spider's awful stench still littered her clothing making her desperate to remove them. The monstrous demon had been no easy trial to remove herself from. As she had, Rei had taken three glorious clear breaths of the most crisp of air. One. Two. Three. It was a wonder she hadn't been crushed, let alone that of the child. Pulling the dried fibers aside revealed the daintiest of girls, small hands and feet, delicate bones and features, a face already sculpted thin and high, with eyes as large and wide as the moon. She would be quite the catch when time came for such things. She had fallen unconscious though, but unharmed, save for two little marks at the base of her neck, some venom seeping from them now. When finally she had awoke, much of the affect had worn off but her legs were still rendered too numb to be of use.

Returning her had been a chore, though her elderly grandfather had not taken a step from where he'd been left, much of the remaining day was spent waiting for the venom in the two men to wear away. InuYasha had taken the longest, a fact that had displeased him greatly. The elderly man and child gave their thanks, and that was all they gave, something the party found begrudging in the foul disposition of the moment.

But the day had carried on along with their travels, and by the afternoon of the second day the destination had been reached. The village had been small, wooden structures for houses all lined up in a misshapen row. They were all built much in the same way, small and square, with a rectangular hole meant to be a door, and a smaller square one next to it to serve as a window. A straw of sorts was laid atop the roofs, with misplaced rocks about for stability. The people were a simple kind, all dressed in clothes made by their mothers years before, but glad to have them just the same. Days for them were about survival and work, and nothing was ever quite done right, giving them something to do when the sun came up the next day. "So, what's suppose to happen?"

Kagome was at Rei's side, reassuring. "You just jump." A simple command, yet not an easy one. Made of fragile wood splintering in several places told Rei of the well's age. It stood to her waist in the shape of a square leading down a dark abyss. Her only salvation was quite literally, a whole in the ground. How fitting.

"You know, before you go we could go see Priestess Kaede. It would only take-"

"No." The startled and sorrowful look that Kagome gave off let Rei realize how harsh the response had been. They didn't really know each other, but they shared a common bond as travelers, and Rei didn't want to make their parting such a poor one. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I just want to get home."

Kagome gave a little nod in understanding, with a smile of gentility, and stood back with the others. Rei gave them each a look that they may all take it however they wish. A faithful goodbye, a longing farewell, or nothing at all, it didn't matter as Rei turned now toward the well. Up upon the edge she climbed to stare inside, standing her bravest. With one strong breath she looked down into the black face of her fate, and leapt.

"Are you sure you're alright?" For the fifth time Kagome asked, unsatisfied with the previous answers given as she dabbed away the mud and rock scrapped into Rei's legs.

"There's no blood on her, Kagome, she's fine. Isn't that right, InuYasha?" Sango turned her graceful head back to look at the disconcerted demon, the only one not leaning beside Rei helping, who gave only but an annoyed nod.

"But are you really sure you're alright? You're not hurt at all?"

Shaking her head Rei kept her humiliated eyes averted. That she'd fallen for this ridiculous prank was absurd. "Just my pride."

"Pride goeth before a fall." Kagome's little hurrah was all but dripping with irony. Rei turned her head to the cheerful girl, the irritance all but shooting from her eyes.

"I hate you."

Kagome only chuckled, keeping to her task, but Rei did not look away. "Alright, ya'll have had your fun. Now, tell me where the real doorway is."

But they did not look at her with light hearted clarity in their eyes, only confusing. Rei couldn't explain it, as if all of this were somehow her misunderstanding. "Look, you had your laugh, now this isn't funny anymore. I'll come visit you for Christmas or something if ya'll like me around all that much but I need to get home."

The firmness in her voice was unmistakable but it only added to their confusion. Kagome placed a gentle hand on the distressed girl's leg. "Rei, that is the door."

"No," Rei heard herself say in reflex, "No it can't be." When no one's gaze gave her comfort, her panic only grew more wild like a forest fire they kept feeding. "Well what did I do wrong?"

Kagome shook her head, there was no answer to give. Sango moved to be on her knees lifting herself a head higher that Rei may be forced to focus on her. "Miroku and I can't use it either. It just-" Thinking she was somehow providing Rei a bit of comfort with the confession Sango had spoken up, but when the look in the eyes staring back into hers said it wasn't helping, but instead worsening it all, she leaned back and held her tongue.

Rei felt her panic now stretch into frenzy, overtaking her with ragged breathing. She felt her heart ready to burst from her chest and the need to pace. Standing she did just that, moving sporadically with no destination planned but one that brought her ease. No thoughts could get through, just a need to breath so hard her lungs ached overtook her being. The girls took hold of her shoulders, fearing Rei would be driven to hysteria.

'Kaede,' Rei heard them say, 'She should be taken to the Priestess Kaede,' and they all agreed.

The hut smelled of protected sage and peaceful lavender, incense had been lit. The smoke drifted like little halos over the doorway landing above Rei, grasping for their affect. An elderly woman of much weight knelt down only as fast as she desired to move, the sound of her square red pants and long white drape sleeves crunching on her way down. As with most people of many years she seemed to carry a natural disposition of disappointment. Gravity had taken much of her, her back hunched downward and two wrinkled jowls following suit. Something in her life had taken away her left eye, now covered by a patch of black, but the right one that remained was hard, looking threw things rather then at them. Letting a little prayer bell chime, the aged woman lifted her hands to hold on either side of Rei's head, making sure not to touch. Controlled warmth was radiating off the shaking hands, something Rei easily recognized as a flex of energy. For an eternity they sat there over stiff mats, Rei could feel her knees start to ache, but she forced herself to stay patient to make the work as quick as possible. Finally, arms down, Rei felt she was free to move her position of sitting. "There now, Child. Much better I can see."

Rei could tell the woman had practiced hands in her art, and didn't doubt knowing first hand the power she surely possessed, so she kept it to herself that the work had been for nothing. By the time the group had brought Rei to the shocked old woman, her struggles were that of stubbornness for aid, not distress. A walk and a moment to be out of control was all she really needed to regain her composure. But they were here now, and the best would be had from it all, whether she liked it or not.

"However, I'm afraid that I cannot sense any spiritual power."

The sounds of obvious confusion from the realization that in fact, she was nothing more then a simple human brought squabbles amongst the four, who had come to sit in the hut behind Rei. Naraku had made a mistake after all.

"Lady Kaede, I do not doubt your senses, however, Naraku brought this girl here with the belief she possessed the power of a priestess. I can not imagine how a mistake could've been made out of this."

"While that may be so, Miroku, I stand by my claim. There is nothing within this child."

Miroku sat into himself to contemplate the statement, but Kagome was not sated. "Maybe you're just missing something. Listen, Rei, do you see anything around me? Anything weird?"

Rei turned back to examine the girl. Weird was not the correct statement to provide now with this company, but she would hold back her forked tongue just this once. "Like what?"

"Like a point of light drawing you in."

Kagome would not have brought it up if there wasn't something to be found, so she searched hard. There was little place to hide anything around her green high skirt and her thin long sleeved shirt, and for a moment she thought she found something, but it was only a reflection of light from the sun, so she had to consent and shake her head no in defeat.

"You see? This was all a waste for nothing. She can't even sense the shards. She's useless."

"InuYasha!" But Kagome's shouts had little affect on him. Instead the demon crossed his arms away in defiance and Rei didn't have the strength to make any remarks. She felt defeated in that hut, all these people around thinking nothing of her plight, only concerned with her usefulness to them, a concept she was all to familiar with. "Listen, we'll figure this out. You're going to be just fine."

"I am not going to be fine! This isn't a game! Don't ya'll get that?" Standing now, Rei towered over the five others in this small wooden building. She felt their eyes on her, mocking.

"What are you getting so bend out of shape with us for?" InuYasha stood with her, their eyes meeting on equal height level. "We didn't bring you here!"

"I didn't ask for any of this! And ya'll are acting as if I did." In a bountiful rise of frustration, Rei placed both her hands on the man's broad chest and pushed with all her might, knocking him back two steps. "I don't want to be here!" She felt her shout echo around her in the still air as she breathed hard from the burst of energy.

Clearing her throat, Kaede made an attempt to quell the tension. Her voice was used and gentle, but soft to make others listen. "The Bone-Eater's Well is Kagome's door, but it is not just a portal. The well exists on the other side, in the future, which is how she first came to us. However, you did not do so. Mayhaps instead, you should search for your own door, from where you came."

The idea hadn't crossed Rei's mind, nor anyone else for that matter, and what a brilliant idea it became. For a moment there seemed to be a possibility of hope and though she knew better then to let herself build up expectations, she couldn't help but take pleasure in the thought, until InuYasha felt the need to break in. "You don't expect us to waste our time dragging her around. She can find her own way. We aren't responsible for her."

But Rei again turned, determined not to be abandoned now, when home could be within reach again. "I didn't choose to come here, but I am. And it's all your fault."

"Mine? How the hell do you figure that?" InuYasha watched her accusing eyes blinded by rage all but strangling him.

"If you had never angered this Naraku, he wouldn't have kidnapped me. My troubles are on your hands."

Though for a moment it seemed the man was to lash out, physically, Kagome quickly stood herself as a shield between the two. "InuYasha, she has a point. She wouldn't be here if Naraku didn't need her to kill us. Anyway you look at it, she wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of this."

Not yet pacified Miroku took a turn, "Yes and perhaps we shall find Naraku by keeping her around. Surely he will want to collect her again after the trouble."

"Then its decided." With her grunting slowness over likely aches and pains Kaede took Rei's hand in hers, gently. "You will do well to be careful, Child. Stay close to these four, they will keep you safe." Rei could only nod. Safe indeed she would be kept, but only as a well kept bait and nothing more. Still, it suited her purposes as well. For now, the arrangement would have to do.

"Kaede, before we go. How is he? Do you think it's safe for me to see him now?"

With a look that betrayed her better self Kaede turned her gaze from Sango in shame, unable to face the girl whom she had promised better. "My dear, I do not know. He barely eats a thing. And speaks even less. I am unsure what to do for him."

A wave of sorrow overtook Sango that she was desperate to hide, but Kagome could not be fooled as she took to her friend's side. "Why don't you go see him, Sango. Maybe it will help?"

Sango nodded then, still in visible pain. From the way she was behaving, Rei imagined they were speaking of an ill lover, she looked much too young to have had children. From the hut all four were led away to another small structure. Though it wasn't really her place, Rei couldn't help but feel too curious to keep waiting, and she followed as well.

The frequently walked grass and high pitched squeals of a child guided her to the right door. Kagome was over the threshold, fussing delightfully over some little thing. Perhaps instead it was Kagome that was married with children, but when the child came into view, Rei decided that wasn't the case. The little boy was small indeed, the size of a new born, yet he could speak, and speak well. His eyes were the wide curious ones of his delicate age, eyes blue as the sky, and hair of a hardy Scott, pulled up high by a blue bow. His shirt and pants were also varieties of blue, thick fabric, with a vest of fur made of the same color of his hair. But his feet looked deformed, they were long and thin, with few toes to speak of and the same stood for his ears. But it wasn't until Rei laid eyes on a flowing fur puff behind the boy that could freely move she decided he wasn't human. "Hey, who are you?"

"Oh, sorry. Rei this is Shippo. Shippo, this is Rei. She comes from my time."

"Oh, that's' what I thought. You're dressed pretty weird." Charming.

"Kohaku?" The sound of Sango's cautious little voice broke through the moment. She was barely hanging over someone sitting, too afraid to touch them. From the door Rei could barely see the figure. No one dared to go inside but Sango, and only Miroku dared to watch. Peaking over his shoulder finally gave a view of a boy no older then twelve, hair and eyes a rich brown, staring at the ground, seeing nothing. Beside him sat a little cat of fawn color with dark markings streaking along the sides. Two full tails wagged beside as she groomed herself, thinking little mind of the guests, as if to her they had never been out of her sight. Sango kept trying to grab the boy's attention with anything possible, talk of her, talk of him, talk of the little cat they seemed to know. He wouldn't even blink.

So drawn to the spectacle Rei slipped passed Miroku to come inside, who was too startled to try and make her stop. Kneeling down, all three in their own world paid her no mind as she looked him down, trying to explain away the behavior. He looked unharmed, his pale still frail skin smooth without so much as a scar. She could only wonder what could possibly be terrible enough to cause this break in him. "Hey."

And the voice was all it took to veer the boy's pit eyes up to her. The shocked Sango could only watch, confused as to when Rei had come in. The boy just watched her, some kind of aggressive energy in him, a hidden surge as his eyes moved higher into his brow.

"Can you hear me?"

An awful snarl like an animal in rage left him and he leapt up to bring her down. Despite her cries and squirms his fingers still found her neck, and he was strong. As she tried to find air it seemed his grasp was growing tighter and when her lungs couldn't get the nourishment they desperately needed, they punished her with an throbbing burn. Lifting up her hands she tried to pry his fingers away and when that couldn't be done she tried to retaliate directly onto the boy, but he was so ungodly strong. The little cat hissed wetly.

"Kohaku stop!" Even Sango's power was not enough to pry the boy away, making InuYasha quickly take command with his demon strength. When finally she was free, Rei filled her parched lungs with fresh air. For a moment she couldn't bring herself to move only allowing her lungs to take what they needed.

Kohaku had been restrained by the two in the hut, while Miroku brought comfort to a horrified Kagome who held Shippo close, not allowing him to watch. By now, the boy was still, returned to the catatonic state of previous, all but forgetting anything had brought him to life. No one would speak , but Sango did turn to Rei, her eyes deadly and accusing, but more then anything, lost.

Traveling down the path, to Rei, no one spoke a word. As they had left the little village where the magical well had resided, word had quickly spread of another like Kagome, a woman from another time, but summoned for dark purposes, and who had caused a rush of violence in the cursed boy, Sango's only brother. Everyone had watched them leave quietly from their windows. No songs or laughter was given, and had turned away quickly when the party had faded into horizon.

They crossed the bank and wound slowly around the long steep path that let out of the village valley. Leaving immediately they expected to make good time with no distractions. It would not be hard to find their destination, the place had been burned into all their minds, Rei most of all. InuYasha led them with Sango at his side, who knew these lands in the dark. But more then anything she wanted distance from the woman who know gave her reason to pause. Kagome and Miroku walked together, unsure how to relieve then tension. Once again Shippo had been left behind along with the two tailed cat Kirara to watch over Kohaku, but after what had happened today, it was a curious wonder if they were actually safe with him. They both knew InuYasha and Sango were filled with distrust, and they were not certain of Rei either. Rei followed from the rear, keeping her eyes cast downward.

There way around would take them up a steep hill into an even wider and broader valley, then up again past more hills. There was no tree for miles or source of water, it was a land of grass and earth, silent but for the whisper of the air over their heads and the cries of loud birds. As they traveled the sun sat high, and it became quite hot. The flatlands seemed to draw the wind less and less to them. Already they had passed the distant forest where likely many wild beasts were still feasting on the inners of a dead giant spider. At about two or three in the day, they reached a hill that lay long and flat with a fine green rim. The air did not sit with them and the sky seamed to touch their heads.

Down the road where it swept to the right to pass a hill their hearts rose at the familiar sight much sooner then expected. It was no doubt the distance had been lazy and deceptive to them, but now finally the break in the trees that lead to the fated clearing was visible to them. Rei all but ran forward breaking between them.

Inside the sight was less then splendid. A wide clearing lay before her, the grass still fresh and untouched by the hands of man. Around the rim candles held only in place by their dried wax could be seen, and trails of freshly laid herbs for burning. In the very center, a stone slab she recognized still sat, the earth already in planning to take it as its own, the broken shackles laid haphazardly about. And then at the precipice sat perfectly her own doom. The alter wavered perfectly before her like a looming tower waving judgment and smelled of blood still. The red stain was placed delicately in a circle around the stone, and three more candles gave Rei suddenly a familiar notion. "It's like a ceremony. See here," Rei spoke as she walked, trailing about in a fast pace, "This is the God candle, and this is the Goddess candle. And this one here is the earth candle. It's even facing North." She was speaking to everyone and no one all at once. "And this blood, its meant to be the Circle. Just like a spell."

"Naraku was right. You would come back here." A voice made of velvet and wine spoke then from the vicinity of the trees. Outward a figure moved toward Rei with the smallest of steps. She wore a tight robe of violet and white stripes angled downward and a long sash of yellow. Her thick black hair she kept up high with long green ornaments hanging from the lobes of her dainty but misshapen pointed ears. Her eyes were as violet as her robe, as were the lines painted over here eyes in perfect form. And in her hand, a fan of thin paper held by strong metal binds. She was surely a lady by her form and posture, but her eyes betrayed that. Rei could just imagine she remembered her, even more still when she heard InuYasha hiss out her name.

"Kagura!"

"Be still Half-Breed. I'm not here for you. Just for this little girl." Dread quickly filled her stomach and before she realized she had done it she'd reached for the knife again and held it tight till her knuckles were white. But Kagura only laughed. "That won't work on me, Girl. I'm not a doll. Now, don't make this hard on yourself." She took only one step, planning it to be the only step she needed and reached out.

A shadow cast them overhead and InuYasha came down between them. In his hands he held his great curved sword, taller then any man. "Back off, Kagura. If Naraku wants her then she's valuable. And I'm not letting her go."

A low growl came from the robbed woman's throat. "You had to make this hard on yourself. I would've let you live this time, InuYasha. But you have brought this upon yourself." Letting lose the fan she waved it aside calling forth her power.

InuYasha quickly took hold on Rei under his arm and leapt, all to well knowing the spoil the Witch of the Winds could cause. From under Kagura a torrent seemed to form in only a moment, building its massive pressure at her waist. Only when InuYasha landed did she see fit to release the great bellow forward, a deviously evil grin consuming her without trying. Rei watched as the gust seemed to cut through everything it touched, bringing more devastation then any weapon of her time that she could imagine. The very earth was pulled up and with no effort at all and cast away without a care. Rei watched the ruin happen before her, and felt the wind against her cheek, though not of cool comfort instead she felt a prick and then the wet sensation of blood dripping down her cheek.

"This is your doing InuYasha. Bring me that girl, or perish!"

With another swipe of her fan Rei could not find the will to move, only watch as a torrent captivated her with fear. Kagome came then, knocking them both to the ground for safety. Rei felt the impact hard, her head ricocheting off a piece that was particularly hard, and then back again for another crash. Sight and consciousness failing, Rei rolled from side to side with a slow pace trying to make sense of herself. The ground felt cold to her and she relished in the relief it gave her burning skin. In the distance she could hear muffled sounds, some louder then others, and faintly saw what appeared to be a man in purple robes with a golden staff land against a tree, a heavy gash across his chest. Reaching for anything to be fixed upon in this spinning world she found herself in, Rei suddenly became attracted to a most lovely sight. She had never noticed it before until now but something was glittering brightly around Kagome's waist. The light was spectral and brilliant, something of a soft purple, and she couldn't help but be drawn in, wanting it.

"Kagome...your hip is glowing..." If her eyes had been clear to her, she would have seen the look of shock come over the girl at the statement. The shock of knowing exactly what Rei spoke of, but unable to understand how she could.

With a roar InuYasha let his sword fall, waves of golden light sharp and true extending away from the blade toward the witch, but she only danced away from the danger, her little feet circling around gracefully without a flaw. She backed away, prepared to let another wind fly, but a distant buzzing stopped her. Her face fell foul, and it didn't suit her. "Bastard..." Plucking a light feather from her hair, she sighed with contempt as it grew large before their eyes and she rose atop it.

"Kagura you coward! Stay and fight!"

"As I would, InuYasha. To dance in your blood would be a joy, but I am being summoned back." Her statement was full of much distain, as if the suggestion of her taking orders was the most tortuous punishment she could imagine. "I will return in time." Now she spoke only to Rei, who still could not make sense of what everything was about, but found some sense to at least stare in the right direction above them. "Mark me, Girl, as I mark you. Your fate is mine." With her vow she was off, the feather taking her away into the mountains, gliding through the air as a boat would in the sea. Rei watched the little white speck vanish against the sun, and then unconsciousness took her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

The hum of the night air drifted along over her brow, it was crisp and soft, allowing and easy sigh to wash over her. Opening her eyes, Rei was greeted by the endless starry black sky with the wind warm and the crickets singing. Her bed was of fern and grass, she was lying in a shaded leafy recess, an arbor made by a living tree with branches braided together, deep and soft. A little dancing fire by her feet gave the light she needed against the trees. She sat up then leaning against the bark. InuYasha was sitting on the grass leading against the wood. Kagome was huddled close to the fire with Sango, both sipping something steaming. Miroku was standing near the end of the wood staring into the darkness. There was no sign of the Wind Witch.

"Finally awake, I see," said Miroku. "Come, have some tea."

Rei crawled forward in a slow cautious way, only to find Kagome holding a third cup waiting for her. "Thank you." It quickly warmed her hands and she sipped it in a greedy way. "Where is that woman?"

"Kagura got away," replied InuYasha, knowing immediately who Rei spoke of. He still carried a scowl for her on his face. "She ran off into the mountains. Back to Naraku."

"Is she a demon too?" Rei asked. InuYasha only scoffed.

"Yes she is," answered Kagome. "She's one of Naraku's incarnations."

Rei watched the girl curiously, thinking the choice of words was odd. "You mean like a descendent?"

Kagome nodded arbitrarily. Rei wasn't half wrong. "She's a piece of him that he discarded. Like his daughter."

Rei had been wanting to know, and only now did it seem appropriate to ask. "Who is this Naraku?"

"He's a monster," shouted InuYasha, letting some of his pent up frustration out. "A sick bastard that twists peoples lives for fun. And I'm going to kill him someday."

"We all will," said Kagome. "He's damaged all our lives."

"But he must want something," said Rei. "There must be something he's after, right?"

Opening her mouth to speak Kagome stopped herself, thinking better of it. "Rei, let me ask. Do you still see anything around me? Something glowing?"

Rei remembered the question from the hut and was unsure why she was being asked again. She was about to tell Kagome no once more, when a faint light led her eyes to the bright yellow bag always with her. From the pocket there was a shimmer of diamond sparkle, and it made her smile looking at it. "No, but there's something funny in your bag."

Kagome gave a knowing nod and reached for just the pocked Rei was fixed upon. When she turned back, she presented a little clear vial. Inside were glittering fragments, a fair purple color, radiating their own constant light. "This is the Shikon no Tama, the sacred Jewel of Four Souls. Its in pieces now, but together they form a round jewel. It grants demons tremendous power. This is what Naraku wants. He may be a demon, but he wasn't made right. He was a human once. And with the jewel he plans to lose all his weaknesses from his false birth and become a full demon."

Feeling the irresistible pull forward Rei leaned in, captivated by the shine and the pale color it gave off. Reaching up she found herself only inches from the vial, trying to touch it. Wanting to take it. Kagome reacted quickly and removed the vial from Rei's sight, hiding it away in the bag. "Humans are drawn to the jewel too, but in a different way. They become consumed by it. You have to be strong and not let yourself give in, or the jewel will have you."

Rei gave a shameful nod. For a moment she'd had visions of stealing the vial away and running, knowing there was no way she'd make it far, but still wanting to try. To have that lovely shine all to herself was too much to deny, and the thought gave her a smile of satisfaction still.

"Then its true, you can see the jewel shards," said Miroku, now coming to sit with the others around the fire. "Then Rei, are you a priestess?"

Rei let out a sigh of frustration, she wasn't sure how to answer when it was both true and not. "Yes...but not in your official capacity." She was right in suspecting that her company would not understand, because neither did she. Instead she shook her head to dismiss them, "But it doesn't matter. I can't do anything anyway. I don't have my books or my alter, not even my Athame."

"There are lots of alters here," said Kagome. "Any of them could work."

Rei shook her head, "It doesn't work that way. Mine is attuned to me. It's like trying to use an arm that isn't yours. Without any of that I can't do much."

Into the fire everyone stared, trying to think better of the situation. Here before them was a chance at something, yet the closer it came into their grasp, only the further again it seemed to slip away. "Perhaps," mumbled Miroku, "Perhaps there are other talismans that you can use."

"I don't think so," said Rei, discouraged. "Unless you know something I don't?"

"There is a shrine, where many monks go to train. I passed through there at the beginning of my journey. If there was anyplace to search for ways that you may use your art, this shrine would be the best beginning."

"But that doesn't do me any good," said Rei, slightly irritated for the suggestion. "What do you expect of me? To summon a bolt of lightning and strike this Naraku dead? Its your fight. I have no stake in this."

"Yes but you do require a way home." Rei watched Miroku curiously as he spoke. Not only was he truly a man of action rather then charm, but also one of cunning. She could see the cogs of his mind spinning. "At the alter, you recognized the ritual. You would know how to perform such a thing?"

"Yes I suppose."

"The ritual must've originated from some place. And as a summoning ritual, surely one to undo the first exists as well. If you were to have what you needed to make the ritual work, then you could return home."

Home. It was a beautiful word then, and whatever it took to hold it once more in her hand, Rei would find the courage inside herself for it. There was no other option anymore. She would have it back, even if it cost her very mind, she would be home again.

* * *

At first light of the sun they left the road and turned westward toward the aspiring Mount Koya. There stood Kongobuji, the monetary of which Miroku spoke. Their purpose was to hold the course west for many days and miles. The land was much rougher and more barren then the green valleys of the Musashi Province on the other side of the range. Their going would be slow, but they hoped to escape dangerous watchings in this way. The spies of Naraku were many, but all too infrequently patrolled the ways of sacred mountains. The paths were little known except to the monks who traveled them.

Still not fully in their trust, Rei was kept in the middle of the tight party, where she could easily be watched from all sides. It felt safe, and uncomfortable all at once. For many cloudless days the sun beat down, and no position seemed to be able to escape its hard-pressed rays. They slept uneasily during the cooler nights, in some hovel the land had made for them, and in the early mornings when they were roused to some form of consciousness it was obvious about them. They took their chief meal then, quiet and dismal as a general rule, and then went on again, always as west as the land would let them.

Not far into the fifth day they had left the valleys long behind them. The land now was beginning to rise steadily. Away in the distance they could see lines of hills, the highest slightly flattened at the summit. "This is the country we will see most of," said Miroku, "I don't suppose you are accustomed to this, Rei?"

She shook her head no. She'd never walked so much in her life, and even now only adrenaline and forcing her mind on other subjects kept her from falling to the ground in pain. "Not really."

"I expected as much. Kagome has described much of what they now call Japan, and traveling, as I understand it, is quite different."

Suddenly Rei had a moment of clarity, and then shock. The realization had never crossed her mind before, never feeling that it had to, but now that she knew, the signs were all laid out before her. The strange clothes, the odd architecture, and not to mention the appearances of the people. "Kagome," she finally asked, finding courage. "Do you speak English?"

Kagome turned back, finding the sudden question very odd. "No. I mean I know how to say hello. **Hello!** And I think thank you is **thank you**, but that's about it. Why?"

Rei felt her stomach about to rot. "Because I don't speak Japanese."

They all stopped then to look her over, unable to understand. "But, how can that be?" asked Kagome, "You're talking to us now."

"Yes, but ya'll are speaking English to me. Everyone is. I don't know Japanese to save my life! I'm not even from Japan. I live in Texas. You know, steers and cowboys and the like." Rei had lapsed into shouting now, only realizing it when she fell silent.

Kagome watched her with such uncertainty that was almost too ugly for her pretty little face. "You're speaking Japanese to us, Rei. Not English."

"What is this English?" Sango asked, having stopped with the rest of the group.

"It's a language from another country." Rei answered.

"I wasn't speaking to you." The startling bite in Sango's voice troubled Rei slightly. It was unexpected, and venomous.

"It might have something to do with the summoning ritual." Rei nodded to Kagome's suggestion. What else was there to believe?

"Then if that is the case we won't know more till we reach Kongobuji," said Miroku. "We best hurry we're wasting daylight." And so they picked up again, only more so unsure of the unwanted guest. In the morning they found a path in their direction plain to see. It ran in just the right way, taking the line that seemed designed for those wanting to avoid detection, both from the hilltops and the flatlands. It dove into the deep trenches and along banks, and when it passed over flatter ground boulders guarded the hedges.

It seemed to Rei that although she was trailing along and feeling weary, they were covering very little ground. Each day the land looked much the same as it had the day before, yet the mountains seemed to be drawing closer. Over the wide lands the hills tumbled about with streams of turbulent waters. Paths were few and winding, and often led them to the edges of some great falls or down into some sheer gully. After sixteen days and nights had come the weather began to change. There came a clear dawn with a fresh morning sun much higher in the sky, with rolls of large clouds. From the south came in a wind that made the hills sigh in relief. The party reached a low ridge by mid-day surrounded by trees so old they looked to be made of stone, the fresh leaves taking in the air and glad of it. Veering slightly to the left Rei could see their journey's prize, the lofty mountains that seemed to raise right over the path the party was taking. Three peaks rose high, the tallest with tip lightly dipped in green. Rei sat on a small standing piece of earth, watching how the colors seemed to change on the rock face by the sun.

Kagome came to sit by Rei's side, seeing the delightful look in the other's eyes. "Nice, isn't it?" she said with a little sigh, "Not like back home, huh?"

Rei shook her head no as she leaned back to support herself by her hands. "I thought the only way I could get sights like this was by going to New Zealand." Giggling, Kagome responded with a half, "Yeah." Rei sighed in contentment. It was the first time the world didn't seem so desperate, and she wasn't sure if it was the cool breeze they finally received or the nature wrapped all around, but for the first time, she felt like herself again. "How did you end up here?"

Kagome let out a sigh, half between whimsy and bewilderment. "Well, there's a well on my property. And one day I fell in. When I climbed out I was here. Found out the Shikon no Tama was inside me." Rei didn't understand the statement and as she opened her mouth to voice herself to the affect, Kagome lifted her shirt slightly to give a view of her right side. Rei could see he once flawless creamy skin coming together downward into a jagged crescent moon, long passed healed. Certain points were more scarred then others, deep points, all equal lengths apart. "After this demon ripped it out, it shattered. Because of me. It's my responsibility to put it back together and protect it."

Turning her head to look down at her boots, she let her shoulders drop and sighed. "And where do I fit in with all this?"

Kagome didn't answer, only let her hand fall onto the other girls hard shoulder, and smiled. Upon returning to camp the two women found the others preparing for a meal. The menu consisted of whatever Kagome had in the seemingly limited bag from the future, all too well meaning Ramen. InuYasha was fascinated with the idea of an instant meal, not able to understand why such a thing didn't exist now. He stood firmly on the grounds that such a fact should be remedied immediately.

Ramen wasn't foreign to Rei and in fact she liked it very much, but three times a day for days straight was beginning to lessen her opinion. "Is this really all ya'll ever eat? Like, all the time?"

"Well yeah," said Kagome, startled. "We need to travel light."

"Then why don't you just catch your food and cook it?"

Feeling eyes on her, Kagome turned her gaze downward. "Well...I'm not that good at cooking. My mom does that sort of thing back home." She wasn't the only one. The two men had likely never been in a kitchen in all their lives, even Miroku, who had always depended on the naiveté of strangers for his meals, and Sango couldn't tell the difference between the salt or the sugar.

"Alright then. InuYasha, I want you to go catch me a salmon. The biggest one you can find." Not too keen on taking orders but curious all the same, InuYasha stood to complete the chore. When he returned only a few minutes later he could see a fire had been built, with two sticks standing on either side, a third laying flat suspended between the two. Between two rocks of different size Rei was grinding something that smelled earthy. "Oh, good. Just take that stick there in the middle and run it threw the fish. Then put it back on top there."

Doing as instructed InuYasha placed the fish on the spit over the fire. It took very little time from the heat hitting the animal for the smell to find his sensitive nose. Taking only a few moments to add some oil to the pasty mixture, Rei quickly began applying it to the skin of the fish, painting it on, being sure to avoid the sharp scales. All too quickly the earthy paste melted into the skin, with a few drops falling into the fire with a hiss. The constant reapplying at first seemed an unnecessary waste, but when the pungent scent of fish and herbs wafted, their thoughts were silenced. Soon they all found themselves salivating.

"Alright, it's done," Rei said with one final turn, the charred pieces still bubbling under the fire. Taking the fish off had not been easy, everyone's eyes peering, vying for their choice piece. Mouths dripping open like animals, the fish did not have long for the world, and even though it was still sizzling and scorched the roof of their mouths they all but swallowed it whole to stave off their glutinous appetites. It was a long time before anyone could look up to each other from their laps.

"When did you learn how to do this?" Kagome asked, dabbing the juices from her cheeks.

"Well my parents work," Rei said, feeling shy. "Need to learn these things, you know."

"Well it's impressive by my standards, I'm scared of my own oven."

"Quite so," said Miroku, flashing a devilish grin, "You'll make a fine wife."

Rei laughed the comment away. "I'm not interested in that sort of thing."

"Why is that?" he asked, genuinely curious.

She waved him off, dismissing him, "To me, marriage is a foolish waste of time."

"Now, now. What a thing to say. An exotic beauty such as yourself shouldn't have such harsh thoughts toward companionship." Placing a gentle hand on Rei's shoulder he began to move down sensually slow, anticipating how far it would be allowed to travel, but Rei's violent shake to remove it gave him a quick answer.

"I said marriage, not companionship. Two completely different things."

Miroku gave a little knowing smile, he knew when to wait for a more opportune time. For now he was beaten, but not defeated. "Well I stand by what I said. You are a fine cook." The party cheerfully agreed, talking and laughing. Only Sango was restless and silent.

All the remaining day they trudged along with full bellies, until the cold and early evening came down. The land dried and became more barren, a few melancholy birds were wailing in the trees, until the red sun sank slowly into the shadows, then sweet silence fell. At the day's end they came to a stream that wound down from the hills into the misty marshland. It was already night when they halted at last to make their camp under some watchful trees by the shore. There loomed now ahead the bleak hills against the blackened sky. That night, when sleep finally reached them Sango could not sleep at all. The moon was waning, and in the early hours of the night a white light with a blue hue covered the land.

The next morning they set out again with the rise of the sun. There was a breeze in the air, and the sky was a pale blue. Rei felt refreshed, her first night of unbroken sleep. Already sleeping on the ground was becoming less alien, and the hours walking had stopped making her ache. She had always been a thin woman, be it a curvy one with an hourglass shape, but never a fit one. Now she could watch the muscles appear by first light, and the thought made her smile.

The mountains dew closer, making a daunting shadow over the land, rising up to the sky thousands of feet, but here and there falling again to finally touch the earth. Along the ridge the party could see the path cut into the rock that the monks would travel. At the base they could see the remains of huts that would serve as one last place of luxury for the pilgrims seeking the sacred mountains blessing. By night they had reached the slopes, and there they camped. Now having to look up to see the mound of rock and stone, it now looked dark and sullen, its head almost covered by white clouds.

"Let me tell you," said Miroku, speaking up to address the party, "I am no stranger to such journeys. It will be cold, bitterly so, and the wind will not be forgiving the higher we go. There will be few trees, so we should take whatever wood we can manage now. It will likely take us two days to reach the monastery. We must keep together and be sure that we watch out for each other." It was agreed upon and then everyone settled for the night, taking turn for the watch as usual, but most trying for a fitful sleep.

The company set out in the morning well at first with good speed, but soon their way became steep and difficult. The winding road had in many places warn away to nothingness or was destroyed by fallen stones. The narrow path wound under a sheer wall of rock, stairs the first few hundred feet, but all too quickly they faded away to nothing but a sorry path made of jagged lines. A bitter wind soon swirled around the rocks searching their clothes with icy fingers. The first night came hard under the dreary clouds with grim and doom. From the height the land looked to be a deep ravine. Again in the morning they climbed the sharp slopes but stopped often.

"You humans need to build up more strength," said InuYasha, callously. "I'm not even the least bit tired."

The comment was ignored and they carried on. The frosty wind was all but hanging in Rei's eyes. The dark shapes of Miroku and InuYasha not two paces ahead kept her aware of herself and her place. The guide to steadiness was welcome, feeling clumsiness try to take her feet away more then once. The experience was completely new to Rei. She'd done a little hiking in her time on a piece of property where she's spent her childhood and more elsewhere later on for vacation. She remembered the days vividly in her conscious, and she tried to draw something from them, but they could not compare. Laboriously they climbed a sharp slop and halted for a moment at the top, trying to find air again. Breathing had become difficult, Rei's lungs never quite feeling full. They tried up again, but they had not gone but fifty feet more when they had to stop again. Soon, even InuYasha found it hard to keep going. Rei's feet ached with the slightest touch, and only adrenaline was keeping her body from falling to pieces. Kagome was barely dragging behind.

The party halted suddenly, a silent agreement among them. While fighting for air against the cold rock, Miroku lifted his eyes in joy, finally seeing what he had been desperate to for the last two days. "Look there, see." He pointed upward, not caring if anyone looking as long as they listened. "The monastery steps. We have not much more to climb."

"Lovely." said Rei, less then impressed, and struggling to rise to her feet again. "They better have water then. Agua!" Sango brushed past then, unnerving Rei's balance. She stuttered for a moment as it happened. "Hey, Sango. Watch out, would you."

But Sango said nothing, only kept on walking forward. Confused, Rei rushed up calling after the woman. "Hey, Sango. I'm talking to you." Suddenly Sango spun around on her heels to grab the offending hand that nearly touched her, squeezing the bony wrist, forcing a small grunt from Rei. She tried to pull away from the hold but Sango was just far too strong. "What the hell, Sango! What is your problem?"

"Don't come near me, Witch!"

The statement startled Rei. Sango had kept quiet throughout the trip. She had thought the behavior was normal of the woman, so she hadn't questioned it, but now it was clear that wasn't so. Sango will filled with fury, her shoulders tense and her breath rapid. But also, she was afraid. "What did you call me?"

"You speak other tongues and you insight furry in my brother. There are foul spirits about you, girl! I will bear with you for Kagome's sake, but I will have none of you or your tricks." Tossing away her hand so hard she fell to the ground, Sango stood over Rei, marking her in her mind just this way. Clearly weaker then she. "And if I see anything that I deem deadly from you, I will slay you myself." And with that she turned, her wild silken hair moving behind her in a wave. Rei could only watch as she found her bearings to begin the journey again, holding her throbbing arm close to her chest, it pulsing with the beat of her startled heart.

The steps were the hardest. Polished stone, high and symmetrical to the inch, a last effort to sweat the sins out of pilgrims no doubt. Only once did they need to stop, but the feel of the cold stone against Rei's forehead and the knowledge that beds and meals were waiting gave her the last strength her body could provide to rise and meet the challenge.

Finally the last of the steps gave way to the prize of flat land, peaceful and quiet. The sight of the garden filled the party with joy, little gurgles from the pond and ruffles of grass brought a smile to Rei's face, and she all but crawled to the closes patch of cool earth to collapse upon, and Kagome followed suit.

But Miroku halted his happiness for a moment when a feeling of extreme stillness was noticed. After a moment he left the parties side, still moving slow, on to the wooden deck where he stood under the shadow of a little tree, examining all his eyes could find while keeping his ears open to listen.

"What's wrong, Miroku?" Sango called from her position kneeling. "Do you sense something?"

"No I don't," he answered. "But that is just the trouble. When I last was here I was greeted by the head of this monastery just as I came over the last step, as if he were expecting me. And there were others, meditating or tending to the garden. Yet now everything is silent and deserted. I can feel it. There are no sounds for miles, and our voices seem to make the air echo. I don't understand."

"Couldn't they just be all...praying, or something?" Rei knew little of monks, but it seemed to her, from what she did know, that most had little indulgences rather then basking in the purifying light of their gods. Being absent from the outdoors gave little reason for her to think twice.

"I have a hope that is all the trouble is. But I fear it isn't so." Gathering themselves the party followed Miroku forward to ease his worries that now they all shared. Sliding the door past, the entrance hall felt even more still then the air outside. It didn't move, and the eerie creaking of emptiness filled their ears. One door after another gave them no comfort, all just as empty as the last. The kitchen had seen little use in days and the beds were untouched. The temple was deserted, for how long they could not be sure. The party was about to call this place a lost cause when InuYasha lifted his nose to the air. "Blood," he whispered to himself, barely audible for the others to hear. He ran, and the others followed fast behind his heels to the farthest reaches of the building, where the smell only grew stronger. Soon the humans could smell it too, crunching their noses from the foulness it gave off. Old blood it surely was, not boding well.

When at last they could go no further InuYasha flung open the paper doors. There, in the sand gardens overlooking the mountainside, the dead filled there eyes. The courtyard lay in shadow, the sands littered with bodies, some in pieces, and running red in every direction. Kagome held back a cry and buried her head into InuYasha's chest, who gave her an arm for comfort. Miroku, overcome by a sense of the end, fell to his knees in despair. Rei had never seen a dead human being before. She'd seen much of death in her time, but in everything else. A human being looked different, their eyes telling a story, one that said to all who looked in that this was indeed the end, that all hopes of some beautiful fairytale life in the sky with harps and wings was all for naught, and the sight of the empty orbs watching her now was frightening. Then, just for a moment, it seemed to Rei that one of the bodies sprawled over the steps gave a twitch. Kneeling down, her eyes fixed on the left hand, Rei leaned in. Suddenly the hand lashed out for her, a scream leaving her lips as she proceeded to kick the body in reaction.

To the parties' amazement all the dead monks began crawling. They were moving. They staggered up, lifting in ways that the body would normally not allow, as if pulled by strings that could not be seen. Some held instruments with the intent of harm, others held devices that would not seem deadly but they were poised to do so, and some still held nothing, bringing up their hard bony fists into a ball.

"But they were dead!" cried Rei, taking a few steps away as the bloody monks moved in. Everyone followed suit, InuYasha drawing his sword, that with a braze of light grew large again as it touched air, and Sango pulling her great curved bone from behind her back. Only Miroku did nothing, his shoulders hanging like great weights against his back. He only stood watching, letting the sorrow fill him in a way even he didn't know was possible. Always his life as a monk was a means toward an end, a great end still. Never had he imagined it would ring so in his heart. But it was, and the sound was loud. Before a kitchen knife came down over his head, InuYasha took hold of the man's shoulder and pulled him back. "Miroku, snap out of it!"

The puppet dead danced poorly around the party, hardly moving by their own strength as they had none. They had no time to think. They might have slipped out of the doors, be they open or closed it didn't matter, but escape didn't seem and option, and playing with these creatures didn't seem one either. Instead InuYasha met them with a shout, bringing down his great blade, shaped like a flattened fang. The bodies crumbled to the ground in their shattered pieces, making no sounds as they did. All at once Sango let out a deadly cry and let her weapon fly. Though thick and hard, it cleaved the dead as well as any sword, and returned to her with a gust of its own making. Many could not keep hold of their treasures though they seemed to try, or else whatever power possessed them did and instead let their own weight be a weapon, as hey leapt for the party. Kagome's screams called InuYasha's attention away, and many laid easy blows on him with whatever they could. Rei did what she could to shield Kagome, feeling no braver, but all the old instincts coming back with just the little knife in front of her.

Again on his knees Miroku watched as his already dead brethren died again before him. And despite the sword not being in his hand that did the cutting, it felt as though he were murdering them himself. He was not trying to stop the destruction, though he knew he couldn't. It was not in him to forgive himself, but as an unarmed corpse fell into his lap, eyes cloudy without life but full of pain, he laid his hand over the pitiable forehead and closed his eyes. "Forgive me." A light radiated off from his fingertips the color of lavender, and the husk all but disintegrate by its power.

When more met InuYasha's bloodthirsty gaze, he growled, baring his fangs. Then once more, in his own way, he leapt aside to take them there, using the heavy sword as both a shield and a weapon, thrusting it in any unprotected place. Sango, in her grace found the patience to steady herself and watched them. It was then she noticed that they were beset all in their direction, but lacking really in interest. The dead were not after them, only raising hands when they were threatened. Instead they walked past in their marionette way, toward the building, where Rei and Kagome stood.

In Sango's watch one slipped passed and came close. Though Kagome tried to find the courage to draw back an arrow it never found straightness, the walking dead never being something she could conquer in herself. Instead Rei drew close and thrust her knife with all her strength into the corpse's head. She staggered, and before she could recover, the creature overwhelmed her into the wooden boards. Pushing Kagome away from the danger Rei struggled to find a way to strike again but she was too weak and slow to restrain the grabbing hands. Kicking one away, the second was much stronger. In one hand he held a sword and the other a simple knife, his skin giving off a pale glow. He fell forward and bore into her. Rei was overcome with a new sensation and heard herself cry aloud. This was an icy pain that reached her spine and moved all around to her fingertips. The surge in her veins gave her the power to strike out at the dead monk and pry him away to the ground, and with what she had left, let her heavy booted foot fall until she heard bones snap in his neck. Rei lifted her hand to press against her wounded shoulder, bleeding heavily, and it made her swoon.

Smelling the fresh blood from Rei's wound InuYasha ceased his struggled and lifted his head to the sky. "Kagura, you bitch! Show yourself!"

All was silent for a time, but a little foxy chuckle broke through, and from the rock face a woman in a tight robe lifted into view, raven hair pulled back, and riding on a snowy feather. "How did you know I was here?"

The demon gave her the foulest look he could manage. "This place stinks of you."

Pulling out her fan as a show of dominance she let the instrument rest against her shoulder with a little tap. "I warned you of this, InuYasha," Kagura said in her liquid tone, "All I want is that human girl you picked up. Give her to me and I will leave you alone."

Gritting his teeth InuYasha raised his great sword in defiance, bringing it down with a guttural cry. Fiery light exploded from the heavy blade, advancing toward the Wind Witch, but she only chuckled, quickly moving out of the way with the aid of her feather boat. And so she opened her fan, and with a little spin called forth her power once more. The wind collided together at her call, tumbling and turning on itself, fighting for dominance. When it touched the land and the trees it cut them down like smooth butter. It dug deep, the pieces that weren't completely destroyed tossed in many directions, some against the walking dead. The remaining corpses felt the first unhindered assault of the torrid winds, their weak rotted flesh having no resistance to their destruction. Someone shouted at everyone to escape, she couldn't be sure who, but whoever did left Rei unaffected. Instead she ran inside, a part of her hoping the impact of other things would bring the winds to an eventual halt. All she needed to do was run fast enough. But she didn't. She felt the wood first, smashing against her back and head, then the lift off the ground. It carried her only a few feet, propelling gravities take on her body to go tumbling down. It was sharp, the cool current all around her and it dug into he arms and legs. She felt her whole body surrounded in pain, and she screamed till her voice gave out.

She was too weak and slow to reach for something. The churning air dragged her down the trail she had only just climbed, still taking more from her flesh away. Finally it let her go, and she lay against the stone, head spinning. But Rei did not move and as she summoned her own lungs to breath again, a shambling corpse came clattering down. It fell onto her chest, and as it continued to fall it pulled her along into a dark opening at the right. Missing one of its arms and pieces of its back, it was no more then four paces from where the tumble had left Rei laying. She could hear it grasping for breath and see the nothingness in once lively eyes. It made ghastly sounds as one trying to find air, and it crawled forward on two twisted legs. But Rei was in her own haunts now. A stranger she was, hungry and weary. Instinct filled her blurred mind, and she no longer had the capacity to think. The stairs here were high and steep. Rei's breath began to come in gasps as it moved ever closer, she still laying on her back. Coming to hang above it held a knife in it's only remaining hand, and fell to her. Lifting, Rei let the sole of her foot catch the corpse at the chest, and push off. Downward it tumbled, not slowing as it went. Rei managed to make herself turn around to see her work. The corpse had passed now out of sight, and only faintly now could it be heard slapping against the rock and stone, the echo running up the mountainside. But slowly that too died away, and Rei gave no more heed to him.

All too quickly she remembered the mountain and forced herself to stand. The slightest movement, even that of her finger was a quick shock down her spine and shoulders, a tingling icy feeling experienced over and over, especially when breathing. But still she had to move, and so she did, slowly. She could smell all the red iron around her, feel the sticky sensation whenever skin touched skin. As fast as she could she trudged down the road, which wasn't very fast at all. If she had looked back, she might've seen the fire glaring up from the peak, a torch that would be seen from very far away. The path descended on. Soon it bent again with the last course passed in a cutting along the face of the cone and finally to the first original steps that would lead to the very base. Far away now toward her south rose the sun, piercing the nightly haze, to her burned ominously, a dull disk of red against all of green Japan that lay before her, like a silent dead land, waiting. Rei finally came to the brown earth again and fell to her knees. Though it was painful for her cuts as bits of soil dug inside, she didn't care. There was no strength left all inside her body. She felt the haziness taking her over faster then the sun could flush out, and she knew it was not the air but her mind. She was too afraid to search herself for all the damage.

But some sound in the distance came to her ears. It sounded full of sorrow and pitiful. Rei forced her mind to concentrate. 'Stay awake...have to stay awake...' Taking to her feet again she stumbled into the trees where the sound seemed to be coming from. The hope was that it was one of her companions. Hurt they may be, but they could still save her. It was an odd thought, searching to be saved, and only then did she let herself accept that without help, she would not survive. When finally she came to the painful sound beside a grove of large trees, Rei was astonished to find not one of her party, but a child, a little girl, she must've been but nine. Falling to one knee Rei reached out to shake the girl. The pain it brought her arm to move was almost too much, it was on fire, and she felt her mind haze again. Instead she quickly brought the pained left arm back to her chest and reached with the right. The little girl in a yellow and orange robe, which she knew better now to be a kimono, with black hair down her back looked to be unharmed, but she wouldn't wake no matter how much she was shaken or called to. Rei finally gave in, and scooped the girl up over her shoulder letting the girls legs dangle over her chest. Maybe she wouldn't be of much use for the girl the way she was, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to try.

Staggering she continued into the woods away from the mountain and the road, hoping she would go unnoticed by wicked eyes. The added weight in comparison wasn't much, but with her already weakened body it took all her willpower to fight her bodies and her mind's resistance to press onward. The going was slow, nearly tripping a few times. Only now did she find the courage to see everything she was suffering. There was a head wound of some sort, what kind she couldn't tell, but it was pounding away in time with her heart like the rest of her open body, giving her a better clue as to what was damaged. Shoulder and arm for sure, and some sort on her neck, the red liquid seeping down her chest even now. Her left hip felt shredded, the side that had likely broken her first fall along with the arm, and her legs were tattered along with her clothing. Going through the wood was not as easy as first imagined. By fortune a clearing seemed to be ahead, illuminated by the light of the growing sun. After passing the last few large trees, a breath of relief trying to escape her lips had come too soon. For a moment she stood, her chest bursting with wild fear. A man was standing there. At first he didn't notice her, or didn't care to look her way, but when his eyes caught sight of the child over Rei's shoulder, he turned with interest.

He was a demon, that much was certain already. He had those same strange ears, pointed to the sky, with white hair long and luscious like a woman's, and for a moment it made Rei think differently of the sex, but watching the face and hearing the gruff sound coming from him made her think better of it. His eyes were the color of stone amber, and his skin pale and untouched. He wore a white flowing kimono, with the hem and sleeves red in patterns, and white pants gathered around the ankles, showing his black flat-footed boots. Over his chest sat a breastplate with a spiked pauldron over his left shoulder. On his right shoulder a white fluffed boa was draped over and around to hang down with his hair, a blue crescent moon tattooed into his forehead.

Fearfully Rei took a few uncertain steps back, not liking the way he was eyeing the girl. Lifting her shoulder to keep the girl in place she pulled her knife out once more with her good arm and held it before him. "Stay back!" She all but growled it. But he showed no fear, not even the slightest bit of interest in her threats, as if she wasn't even there, nothing more then a nameless faceless obstacle that was in the way of what he wanted. And what he wanted was the child. Still she kept backing away till she felt her heel touch the base of a tree then stopped. She would make her stand here. She was nothing if not stubborn. When he came within reach she plunged her knife forward with far less finesse then usual, which wasn't saying much, a move which he most easily avoided. The exertion was all it took to cease her struggles and she could taste blood rising on her tongue. Down to her knees she fell, her good arm finding the little body draped across to make sure all was still well. Though she was leaning more towards the right, she purposefully pushed herself to fall the other way to keep from crushing the child and held her down so she wouldn't be tossed. Her pained arm hit the earth, but she felt only a slight shock, her body finally decided to shut down. Hanging over was the man, his harvest moon eyes watching her curiously. She met those eyes, now tasting the blood in her mouth like a drink.

"Touch her, and you'll be sorry." And then the blackness came.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, as do the rights of My Native Land belong to Sir Walter Scott, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

She could hear moans, heart-wrenching noises in the air like a crisp sob, and she felt sorrow for their agony. It was unfair that such hurt could be in the world. Such a sound is disturbing to one who suffers as well, as she did. But then she realized that the cries came from her and she felt shame for it.

She heard a sound then, someone moving nearby but she didn't have the will or the knowledge to open her heavy lids. Voices spoke, none of them made any sense. A shadow came over her head, she could tell from the round shape darker to her view, hovering. "Kagome...?" she whispered, though the question was barely audible over her pressed lips. The tiniest hand touched her weak arm, smaller then a new born. It was cold with a tight texture. It was not Kagome.

Then the creature spoke, it had a voice pitched high and grainy mixed with slime. "I'm sorry, my lord, but she is not fully conscious yet. I am doing all that I can but humans are not easy to contend with." There was no voice in response, only a pause and the sound of the slimy voice stuttering. Rei was surprised she could make sense of the words. "The blow to her head was particularly severe. But also there are lacerations and bruising to most of her body, but the one to the head and her fractured arm are the worst. It was a very strong blow that did this. I am surprised she lives, human bones are so fragile."

Words. They were only words to her and nothing made sense. Her head and her arm pounded. Nausea trying to consume her. She was being prodded.

The high voice continued, "But she does speak, though very little. Like she did just now. But she is still too far gone to be questioned, my lord. There is bleeding and swelling throughout, I am unsure of her survival. This is highly irregular and far beyond my talents. I do believe-"

"Jaken." A new voice rang through, this one was deep and resonated with power.

"Yes, milord...?" The first sounded frightened.

"I did not ask to hear of your shortcomings. If you cannot do the tasks you are instructed to then you are indeed useless."

"Yes, milord." The high voice sighed, sadly.

Rei struggled to regain the ability to speak. Someone was speaking of her, as if she weren't there, though that might've been a factual assumption. Much of the days passed had only seen her mutterings in low breaths. But demon ears are keen. Much of it was not understood without context, but some were clearly delusions she seemed to be suffering. A particular one, was calling out for her father. "Father," she would say, "I know I'm not what you wanted in a child and I'll never be what it is you want, but can't you accept me for who I am? Isn't what I've become good enough? Don't my struggles mean anything to you? Why can't you just understand me?" But these figments were mostly ignored, and even she wasn't aware she'd said them. The pulsing had grown too loud. She felt ill again. She thought she heard more words, from a female voice. But they were words she could not follow. A ringing grew in her ears and she felt as though she were sinking down.

There was darkness. And then...

The red and white fan striking out...

The look of fear in Kagome's eyes...

The wood and wind taking her away...

The corpse raining down on her and breathing into her face...

The look of fear in Kagome's eyes...

The taste of blood in her mouth...

The sudden fear invoked by the prospect of death and the fire far behind...

The look of fear in Kagome's eyes...

The little girl in against the trees...

The dangerous man with amber eyes...

Kagome promising all would be well...

The look of fear in Kagome's eyes...

Eyes.

Wind.

Fire.

Fear.

She awoke to her own cry.

A cool hand landed on her brow, soothing her. "Peace."

Worry swept into her heart. She would know of her friend if she could, but all she could manage was another pained moan. Her head felt like it would burst, so great was the hurt that she would forget the ache of the rest of her. But the hand felt so comforting, and even though it lasted only a moment there, the coolness did its work and she slipped once again into the unconscious. All was still.

* * *

She managed to lift her lids away from another dream then, but the light was so dark she was unaware if they were truly open. Her head ached, and she felt herself laying against hard things. Immediately she closed her eyes to these discomforts and found herself back into her dreams, then consumed by a feeling of emptiness. It wasn't darkness, darkness has definition and substance. This was nothing, a void, and it called pulling deep down, till her struggles were nothing and she succumbed to the call.

But not much later, so short to her in time and with the fact that darkness was still all around giving her the impression she hadn't slept at all, she tried again to pull herself into wakefulness. She had a cohesive thought into moving, and she was aware she was making effort, and even in her blackened mind she felt that was enough. She still hurt, but she was better, and it gave her comfort that she wasn't going to die like she'd dreamt. To her great surprise tears filled her eyes, overwhelmed by these great feelings, and could scarcely halt a sob escaping from her lips.

She lifted herself into a sitting position, leaning against what she wasn't sure of, but didn't have the strength to turn. There was a fire going, and she was vaguely aware she was wearing different clothes. A dress in fact. One of navy blue and European design, the hem covering her ankles, slightly embroidered there with simple designs, the skirt bellowing out. The sleeves were long and tight, cut around the elbows and just under the shoulders with slits, revealing the white ruffled garment underneath. The hem sat over her collar and shoulders in a neat way, the white kirtle peaking up again, one small downward point cut just in the middle being the most provocative thing about the garment. But another was there, hands urging her face around, pushing a cup to her lips. "That's it. Good. Drink up," a little voice said, as warm, soothing liquid flowed into her mouth. But it hurt to swallow and she winced. "Gently," the little voice soothed, "It will heal you." And the drink seemed to do just that, her vision and mind starting to clear. To her delight before her sat the little girl she had tried to save, kneeling at her side, looking unharmed and well.

But then she realized that she had been with her before, her sweet little voice coming back into her strewn recollection. It was strange to be so confused in her own mind that she could not properly piece together things for the last few days, only being sure they had passed by, but remembering very little. That bothered her. And the fact that a little girl was attending her at all, a child who should be attended to otherwise, that bothered her more. She felt sudden humiliation for appearing so weak.

"You're awake then, Girl." The sand grain voice drew her attention away then, and finally did she see a body attached to it. As she thought, it was a small one, its head only a few feet from the ground, dressed in the brown and beige robes of a monk, holding a staff three times his size. Even in the darkness of the night she could see that his skin was green and his mouth was a long beak. He looked to be a witchdoctor with his wide yellow eyes and shrunken heads attached to his staff.

She was startled in watching him come close, waddling slightly on two toes, long like fingers. But as he came close a little guttural purr came from the vicinity of her right. As she turned she came connected by the eyes to a confounding creature of nature. It could be called both a horse while also a dragon. It was the size of a horse, large and bulky like a Shire, with hair running down its back in thick un-brushed waves of black. But there were distinct reptilian features about it, its neck was long and its eyes were dark slits floating in seas of yellow, with brown scaled skin leading down to a thick serpentine tail. But not just one long neck and heavy yellow eyes watched her, but two, all connected to the same shoulders. Both heads regarded each other for a moment after her fitful stares, and, thinking nothing of her presence, let them fall again between their great clawed paws and closed their lids.

"Don't worry," the small girl said, Rei now realizing how her face must have looked, completely pale and eyes like dinner plates, "That's just Ah-Un. I'm sure he likes you." Her smile was an innocent one. Such a child did not belong among such dangers.

Once more she looked to the bald creatures with skin of moss. "Who...who are you...?"

His little beak formed a displeased line and it clapped open when he spoke. "You may address me as Master Jaken. I am the humble servant of Lord Sesshomaru."

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Then Rei heard a small grunt of summoning. Moving forward to see around the dragon's large right head, there sat a man before the fire, in a white flowing kimono, barely white against his pure snow hair, with a face forlorn in detachment. It was the same man who had been so intent on the girl. "You?" It was little more then a whisper.

"And I'm Rin!" the excited child said as she hopped in front of Rei's line of sight, bringing her back to the moment. "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"Oh, yes, nice to meet you as well. I'm Rei."

"Hey, that's nice. Rei and Rin. Rin and Rei!" she laughed at her own little amusing quip.

"Rin, let me ask you. Where did you get this dress?" Rei asked, showing off the sleeves, as if it were possible to misunderstand. It obviously did not belong in this land. It had originated many seas away. How it had come here was an oddity.

"Oh. That was mine. I found it in a crate on an abandoned wagon. It was so pretty I really wanted it. But, you looked like you could use it more then me." Though clearly young the girl was not sheltered, she spoke well for her age and seemed far selfless and understanding then any child Rei had ever met. She shuttered to think though who had been the one to dress her, and banished the thought when it became too uncomfortable.

Jaken turned his wiry nose up to the idea. "Yes, your old rags had to be disposed of, they had been mostly destroyed, though they weren't all that fine to begin with. But most of all they carried the scent of that disgusting half-breed, InuYasha. They were done away with quite quickly."

Eyes wide, Rei leaned in to make herself more known. "You know InuYasha?"

The imp scoffed, thinking only of the human girl's clear stupidity. "But of course, Girl. That impudent swine is Lord Sesshomaru's disgraced younger brother."

"So then, they're related." Leaning forward again she sought Sesshomaru's face for a reaction. She was given none. Clearly it was not a welcome relation.

But Rin thought nothing of the subject and instead stood with much bounciness in her energy. "Come sit by the fire. You must be cold."

Reaching for the hand Rei knew to be damaged she instinctively pulled away, startling the girl. Expecting pain to come from the action she braced herself for it, but when it didn't happen Rei lifted her arm to examine it. Not so much as a scuff lay against her skin that she wasn't already familiar with. In fact all of her body was well, and the wounds she clearly remembered now seemed like a distant story. "I...I don't understand?"

"It is thanks to the magnificent power of Lord Sesshomaru that you are healed, Girl," the little imp said, looking proud as if he was feeling the sense of accomplishment rather then the one who had actually performed the action. Looking over again Rei watched the demon. He either didn't noticed her eyes all over him, or didn't much care. She guessed better that it was the latter. He gave off a callous aura, as if nothing in his life would ever bring happiness. Even now he seemed to not be looking at what was around him or immediately in front of his view, or himself in fact, but something else, far in the distance of his mind. "With his mighty sword, Tenseiga, he was able to return your soul to your body and give you life again."

Then Rei snapped her head to look at the imp once she heard his words. "Wait...you mean I died?"

"Yes and you are now much indebted to Lord Sesshomaru for-"

"Hold it. Are you trying to tell me that I died?"

"I don't understand why are you reacting this way? You're alive now and-"

Again Rei cut Jaken off, picking him up as a girl would her favorite doll and held him to her natural eye level by his small shoulders. "I said shut your bill, Frog Thing. Now did I die?" Her question was loud, it echoed off of the trees in the small space.

Jaken didn't take too kindly to his handling, and instead squirmed about in an unpleasant fashion. "Yes, you died you insolent girl. Now release me this instant!"

And so she granted his wish, letting her grip go, and he fell to the ground with a slight thud. But Rei thought nothing of it. She was bewildered. She hadn't remembered dying, hadn't remembered what it felt like. They could be lying to her but it seemed such a ridiculous notion after all that she had seen. InuYasha had a sword that seemed to cut the very air, that grew to his size when it was unsheathed, yet was a normal katana otherwise. A sword that could bring the dead to life didn't seem such a difficult concept any longer. "Holy fuck balls, I died. Holy Christ on a cornbread cracker, I died!" The second statement was far louder, bordering hysterics.

"Be silent, Woman. Your caterwauling is a nuisance." The smooth baritone voice of the man called Sesshomaru broke into the echoing space. He didn't need to speak loudly to be heard, his being demanded attention.

But Rei would not be sated, her frenzy only just peaking in her mind. "Don't you tell me to shut up you...you Tranny! With all your make-up, and your pretty hair. I fucking died!" Then she felt the sensation of a dagger's point under her throat, being unable to move away with the restraint of a smooth yet powerful hand. It was his thumb she felt now, crushing her breathing slightly, with an abnormally sharp claw digging in a vulnerable place. It all startled her, dumbstruck.

Her eyes shook inside his, till her whole body silently followed. With her quaking came the wash of fear that buried her, making her natural scent much more noticeable, like fresh copper. "I will not suffer your insolence. You are alive only that you will lead me to Naraku. But if you prove more trouble then you're worth, I will not hesitate to put you in your grave again." She felt a pin prick against her tender flesh, and a wet trail swimming down her neck in irregular slowness.

"I don't know where Naraku is." The statement left her lips before she could think about what it would cost her. Everything was becoming unclear, a static whiteness clouding her mind in her miserable fear.

But instead of pushing the claw in deeper, the demon removed himself from her throat, and returned to looking into the fire, in his uninterested way. "Then you have no usefulness to me."

It wasn't exactly a death sentence, but it might as well have been. Rei had the sudden thought that if he turned back in her direction, and still saw her there when she had essentially been instructed to leave, the results would be unwanted. But instead Jaken spoke up, wishing to placate his lord. "Come now, Milord, there must be something this girl is good for, after all the trouble she caused. Come now, Girl, what is it that you do?"

Heart still pounding, her thoughts didn't process as quickly as she'd liked, and so she merely looked at the little imp strangely. "What I do?"

"Yes, fool! What is it that you can provide to Lord Sesshomaru. Some talents you possess."

"I write." she said, cautiously. It wasn't a useful talent, but it certainly was under the category of what she did.

"Oh, you're a Bard?" The child Rin leaned in with excited eyes, and though her statement wasn't entirely true, it suited the closest thing to what the time period would accept, and so Rei simply nodded.

"Ah, I see. Then come now, recite a tribute for the great Lord Sesshomaru." Rei watched Jaken sit after his command, closing his eyes in expectance of some sort of romantic sonnet. She turned her gaze to Sesshomaru, coldly, and opened her mouth.

_Breathes there the man with soul so dead_  
_ Who never to himself hath said,_  
_ This is my own, my native land!_  
_ Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd _  
_ As home his footsteps he hath turn'd_  
_ From wandering on a foreign strand?_  
_ If such there breathe, go, mark him well!_  
_ For him no minstrel raptures swell;_  
_ High though his titles, proud his name,_  
_ Boundless his wealth as wish can claim,_  
_ Despite those titles, power, and pelf,_  
_ The wretch, concentred all in self,_  
_ Living, shall forfeit fair renown,_  
_ And, doubly dying, shall go down_  
_ To the vile dust from whence he sprung,_  
_ Unwept, unhonour'd, and unsung_

Rei had never said that her mouth was a controlled one. Her forest woven eyes fell on him then, watching for his reaction. He met them, golden and glowing, not turning his head, only moving his orbs till they locked where he had meant for them to. She grit her teeth and swallowed hard, trying not to give her fear away. He could smell it, see the lump in her thin throat and hear the pitter patter of her frail human heart. But her face would not show the same. She masked her fright with defiance. No one would say she did not die her own way, on her own terms, and it seemed now, as his brows furrowed and his pupils grew small, that such an end would meet her now.

"That sounded so pretty." Rin was leaning close again, drawing Rei's attention to her. She was delightful and happy, clearly unaware what the poem had meant. "You're very good at this. Won't you tell me one of your stories then?"

Rei half smiled at the eager girl. She felt like a mother whose child begged for a story before bed. "Alright, I'll tell you my favorite one." Scooping the child up, mostly for the feeling of protection she hoped it might give, Rei sat Rin down lightly on her lap to lean against her chest if she grew tired. "It's called La Belle et la Bete."

"What a lovely title." Snuggling down, Rin settled herself, ready to listen.

"Well, it all began in a far off land called France, many years ago, where, in a small village, lived an old gentleman and his three daughters. The eldest daughters were both very lovely in their own ways, but wicked, cruel, and selfish. But the youngest, whose name meant Beauty in their language, was not only the most beautiful girl in all the land, but she also had the most beautiful heart. She was gentle, sweet, and kind, so much so that she willingly worked in the house of wealthier men as a maid to help pay off her father's debts, who had lost all his money.

One day, the old gentleman came to his daughters and told them that their troubles were over. That a ship of cargo was coming in that he may get his fortune back. The three daughters were overwhelmed with happiness at this, and as their father left for is journey he asked them what they would like as gifts upon his return. The eldest asked for jewels. The second asked for dresses of the finest silks. But the youngest, Beauty, simply asked in her humble way, that her father bring her a rose. And so the gentleman departed, and headed for port. There he discovered that all his cargo had been taken to pay back his standing debts. He was distraught, not only was he unable to bring anything for his daughters, but their situation had only just worsened. And so he set off again to return home in shame.

But on the way he became lost in the forest. It was dark and cold, and he felt for certain that he would die that night, but instead he stumbled upon a palace hidden by the tall trees. There it seemed the doors themselves opened to him, and as he stepped inside he found in a dinning hall, a grand table beset with all sorts of food, candles and a warm fire that seemed to light themselves, and glasses that never ran out of drink. He was so astonished at the display that he almost didn't believe it was real. Then a voice rang out from the shadows, as if the very walls had spoken, 'I am the master of the palace, and I have provided you with the bounties of my house, in accordance with the traditions of our land. You may eat and drink your fill, then sleep in the room I have prepared for you. Then you may leave in the morning. But, you may only have what has been offered to you. Take any more than that, and you shall be punished.' The gentleman agreed, never imagining to dishonor his most gracious host. And so he spent the night eating and drinking the finest offerings, greater then even royalty he imagined, and when he'd had his fill, the candles down the long halls led him to a room, where the door again opened by itself to reveal a room all freshly prepared. He had never slept better in his entire life. The next morning the gentleman prepared to set out when he noticed all of his surroundings. It had been dark when he'd first arrived and unable to see, but now with the sun shining he could see that the palace was lined with the most vibrant of rose bushes. Thinking of his youngest daughter and not wanting it all to be a complete waste, he selected the most beautiful rose he could find, and picked it for her.

Then suddenly a hooded figure appeared before the man. 'How dare you!' he bellowed, 'I shower you with all the gifts of my land, and this is how you repay my hospitality? You have stolen from me what I hold most dear in my heart, and for that you life is forfeit.' The old man fell to his knees and begged the man, saying that he had only taken the rose as a gift for his daughter. The figure thought a moment, and then said, 'So indeed it is your daughter that steals from me. Then you must collect her and bring her in your place.' The old man pleaded with the man but he would have no part of it. 'You have but one day to return home and gather your daughter and bring her to me. If you do not I shall destroy everything you hold dear.' Unhappily the gentleman agreed.

He quickly found his way home to his daughters, and told them the tale. The two eldest were miserable, thinking only of themselves. 'What are we to do now without our father?' the eldest said. 'This would never have happened if you hadn't asked for such a ridiculous gift.' said the second. 'You should be the one to take Father's place, for it is your fault that he is being punished.' said the eldest. And Beauty agreed. Her father pleaded with her against the decision, for he hadn't come to collect Beauty but simply to wish his daughters goodbye before returning. But Beauty would have no part of it. She saddled her horse and rode into the forest down the path her father had described.

By nightfall she found the palace, and the doors seemed to open by themselves, just so in her fathers tale. When she entered, she found the elegant table prepared, and the fire lighting itself and the dark voice emanating from the shadows. 'I never expected the old fool was truly heartless enough to send his own daughter in his place. I pity you greatly.' But Beauty shook her head, 'My father only returned to wish us farewell. I insisted on taking his place.' 'Then you are a romantic fool,' said the shadow voice, 'Thinking yourself some martyr here.' 'Why do you provide me food? Am I not to die?' Beauty asked. 'No,' the voice said, 'You will not die. Instead you will live here, trapped in my enchanted palace, never allowed to leave. I can think of no better punishment for a beautiful girl such as yourself.' But Beauty agreed nonetheless. 'Though you may be my prisoner here I am not cruel. You will not be shackled or starved in my dungeons. You will have the bounty of my house, and live well as my guest. But you must never try to leave. Do so, and my retribution will be such that you'll want naught of it.'

And so that night, wearing one of the beautiful gowns she had found in her bottomless closet, Beauty sat in the dining hall to eat dinner, but she sat alone, as her host wasn't there. Wanting the company she asked, 'Will my host not speak to me?' The voice from the shadows called out to her, 'I do not wish to interrupt your meal.' But Beauty simply said, 'Conversation sweetens the wine.' And the host could not help but agree with what she said, and spoke to her delight. They began the evening with riveting conversation, but soon Beauty became lonely and asked, 'Will my host not eat with me?' and the voice said, 'I would not deny you a meal.' But Beauty simply said, 'Bread is best broken amongst others.' And the host could not help but agree with what she said, and so he immerged from the shadows, a figured cloaked in black and sat across from her, eating a small bit of meat. And the evening only grew more pleasant. But by the time desert was to be eaten Beauty asked, 'Will your face remain hidden from me?' and the figure said, 'I would not have you look upon my form, tiss a horrid torture to place upon you.' But Beauty simply said, 'To be a prisoner to one that does not allow themselves to be known is truly to be a prisoner of no one.' And the host could not help but agree with what she said, and so he removed his cloak, revealing a most hideous face. He was covered in fur, like a wild animal, with horns protruding from his head, and massive paws with sharp claws and razor teeth. And though Beauty was frightened she would not allow herself to show it and instead she just smiled and ate the last of her meal with him. Then she bid him good night and she departed to her room.

The next night was much the same, and the next, and the next. Days were spent reading in the grand library, knitting, or painting. In time, her host, the Beast, allowed her out onto the grounds with him where every day he tended to his garden of lavender and daisies and most of all roses. The roses were by far the Beast's favorite, his most prized position in all the world. Even soon he would allow her to help in his garden, when at first she wasn't allowed to so much as touch the flowers. Some nights they would sit together under the stars and talk till the sun came up.

But after many months of this, the Beast noticed that Beauty began to look unhappy. When he asked her, she suddenly burst into tears. 'It's my family. I love it here and you have been so kind to me and all this has been wonderful, but I so miss my father and sisters. I wish I could see them again.' The Beast took pity on the dear girl and said to her, 'Then you must go to them. I give you permission to leave the grounds for one week to be with your family. But after one weeks time, you must return to me. Any longer and I don't believe my heart will be able to bear it. But you must take this with you.' And the Beast gave her a magic mirror and an enchanted ring. The mirror would allow her to see the palace simply but asking, and the ring would allow her to instantly return once turned on her finger three times. Beauty was so overjoyed that she threw her arms around the Beast and kissed his cheek, then ran to her horse in the stable and immediately set off.

When she arrived home her family was shocked to see her, dressed in clothes more fine then the queen herself, bringing gifts of gold and jewels and bountiful riches for her family. But her sisters grew jealous of her good fortune, for after Beauty left, they had to become maids themselves, as Beauty was no longer around to bring in money for the family. They wished only for her suffering as she surely deserved it for placing this burden upon them. But when Beauty informed her family that her host had instructed her to return to him in one weeks time, her sisters took onions to soak the juices in their eyes to force tears and fell to their little sister's feet. 'Don't leave us, dearest sister,' cried the eldest. 'How we have missed you, our heart swelled when you returned to us,' sobbed the second. 'If you were to leave us again, we would surely die of heartbreak. But we ask that you remain with us but one more day, and perhaps that will be enough to stave off our sorrow,' said the eldest. Beauty, so moved by her sisters showing of love embraced them, and promised that she would remain but one more day. The jealous sisters smiled wickedly, hoping that the Beast would become furious with Beauty for breaking her promise, and feast on her for dinner.

When the eighth sunrise came Beauty became so guilty for breaking her promise to the Beast. She searched for the mirror and asked it to see the Beast, only to be shocked and horrified with what she saw. In the mirror, Beauty could see the palace rose gardens, with the Beast laying amongst them. At first it seemed he was just sleeping, then he turned over and she could see his eyes going dull and rolling in the back of his head. 'My Beast!' she screamed in terror. Immediately she turned the ring on her finger three times, and magically found herself transported to the palace gardens.

She ran as fast as she could to the rose bush she'd seen in the mirror, screaming for him as she ran, 'My Beast! My Beast! My dearest Beast!' There he lay, barely breathing. Beauty fell to her knees before the Beast and wept on his chest, sobbing for him. 'Please, don't leave me! I love you don't leave me! I love you! I love you!' Her tears splashed onto his chest, and as they did, the Beast was consumed with light. It was so bright and dazzling that she had to shield her eyes from it. It grew so bright and the whole garden was flooded in the light. When finally the light faded Beauty's wet eyes laid upon not the body of her dying Beast, but instead the smiling face of a handsome man. At first she looked upon him with horror, backing away from the unknown man, but instead he took her hand and said, 'Do not fear my darling Beauty, it is I.' And when she looked into his eyes and saw the eyes of her beloved Beast, she cried out in delight and embraced him with a kiss. He took her hand and knelt before her on one knee. 'My dear, Beauty, years ago I was I was the prince of this land, but cursed by a fairy to be a Beast until I could find love in my heart. You have shown me love and I have found love for you in return, my most glorious Beauty. I ask that you spend the rest of your life with me as my bride and my queen.' A tear filled Beauty said yes. They were married the next day amongst the roses, and lived happily ever after."

Sleepy eyed, Rin looked up at Rei and smiled. "That was a great story. I really loved it. Won't you tell me another?"

Patting her head, Rei leaned back against the dragon horse, at first forgetting it was there. The beast was startled at first, forcing Rei up again, just watching the animal, but then forgot there was any bother and settled back again. Rei did as well, testing her limits by laying against its side. But the animal didn't move, not even noticed, and so Rei gave the beast all her weight and relaxed. "No more Rin."

"Don't you know more?" the girl asked, clearly not satisfied with the refusal.

"Oh yes, I know many, many more. But only one per night. Just like the story of Scheherazade and One Thousand and One Nights."

The child's eyes grew large with the prospect of so many stories to come. Knowing all the delight she would soon receive, she let her head rest against Rei's warm chest, and closed her eyes for happy dreams. Rei felt for a moment like Scheherazade, needing her tales to inadvertently pacify an angry lord, sure to take her life with the coming of the rising sun.

* * *

The talk did not die down throughout the three days on the road. All classics that Rei knew well, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Rumplestiltzkin. It became a fireside-story each night for the young girl, and eventually the evil queen, who would always die in some gruesome way at the end, became a favorite character just for that fact. During the light hours of travel it was all discussed between the two of them, for hours and hours a day, and remembered much longer then that.

In the meantime while the ladies rode the dragon beast, the others walked, Sesshomaru walking first. His attention was straight and true, hearing the talk but not listening to it. It distracted his two companions enough that they did not question him or make foolish needless comments, which was itself a miracle. By now he would be bothered with concerns about their destination, which was a imprudent notion. He knew where they were traveling. To the east the outflung arm of the forest extended to its sudden end, and far lands moved between them, wide and vague. To the west stood the mountains marching to their own symphony as far as the eye could reach.

They stopped in a wayward clearing at about mid day, beside a pool of dark water. "But I don't understand, Rei. Why would the Queen want to kill Snow White? She's her mother, right? Didn't she love her?"

The talks were often like this, the girl Rin finding something odd in the tale she was told. She questioned everything she heard, and quite frankly Rei liked that about her. "You can't take the story so literally, Rin. It isn't meant to be something of historical value or just for entertainment. They're lessons, they ring with truths. Snow White is meant to teach you about the kind of person you should be."

"Not like the Queen, right?"

"Right," said Rei, nodding in approval. "The Queen was a beautiful woman, and because of that she was full of vanity. Snow White was beautiful too, but in a different way. She wasn't physically more beautiful really, she was very young, not much older then you. But what made her so fair was her pure heart. And that's why she was more fair then the Queen, whose heart was vain and ugly. The story teaches you to be pure of heart, like Snow White."

"Oh." Running over to Jaken then, the girl was satisfied. Morals were good for children, letting it absorb because it sounded clever.

The vibrant voice of Sesshomaru was heard then, speaking without turning to look at the intended receiver. "Woman, come with me." It was not a request.

Much of the trip Rei had forgotten Sesshomaru was even present. He had not spoken a word to anyone, certainly not to her, and it disturbed her now as he continued forward, intending that only she follow. He was InuYasha's brother, giving her some semblance of security and trust, but he was a full demon. She could see the resemblance enough to believe the relation was true, but only physically. Nothing else would give a blind man any sort of satisfaction in wondering if the two men shared blood. Brash, ill tempered, but genuine InuYasha had come from the same line as quite, even, but cold Sesshomaru. It must've been different mothers.

She followed as she was told, but was not greeted by any sort of conversation. The man only continued on, she dared not speak. Less then a mile away, just a little below them, there lay a hovel. It was tucked away behind the brush and bush. Waters ran deep inside, barely to be heard from above ground as they were.

There was evidence of it once having been given a purpose, or at least the idea of one. In places there were lumps of the stone taken out not by the hands of nature. A trailing work of stone into a beaten path led hard into the darker woods and two standing columns on either side kept watch. Beside the columns were etchings. They were cracked and weather worn, unable to be read any longer. A single board hung over the entrance taken by the vines and the nearby roots.

A path downward was visible to Rei as she took it, rather Sesshomaru all but drifting downward on light air. In he went without a word, and their past discussions had given her the notion to follow. At first Rei could see nothing. Only watching the curtain of snow sway three feet before her as a guide, even in the dark it was bright and illuminating. Then slowly as her eyes adjusted she could see the forms of walls and an uneven path. The sounds of moving water filled her ears, and then she stepped in it, a stream that only rose to two inches. Trying to avoid the water became more difficult as they went, though she was seeing better, that fact would not remain so for long, and the water was steadily growing in volume. The large stream became a swift river, and it gathered water from many mountain streams, loud and rushing in the small space. Finally Sesshomaru moved to the right, just when all of her boots were submerged. Kicking the water away she followed, gathering up her dress to keep it from being soaked. She looked quite the untrained fool, bunching it up as she did. When finally the path led to dry ground Rei felt relief in dropped the hem, but discomfort when the full extent of her flooded boots became known to her senses.

It was a cave carved into the thick granite stone, small but with enough space for temporary dwelling. It appeared someone had been using it so, there was a mat rolled on the ground, fire pit long smothered out, and an unpleasant aroma in the corner she dare not name.

'This was his for a time.' Sesshomaru rationalized in himself, 'Only recently has he left again. That witch will pay for her dishonesty.' "Woman." Rei was startled at the sound of his voice. It was a rare occasion in itself. She turned to face him though he did not do the same. But still she was certain he was aware that her eyes fell on him. "I will ask you once more. What do you know of Naraku?"

She took a step away from him, not liking the way his eyes trailed her. "You dragged me down here to ask me that?" The snide comment was not well received by the harder stare he gave, and so she decided better of herself and just answered. "I already told you. I don't know anything about him."

Thinking nothing of the girl, he persisted. "Do you think me a fool? His scent is all about you. I will not ask again."

"But I'm telling you the truth," she said, louder this time. "I don't know Naraku. I've never even met him. The real him, anyway. He just brought me here. With a spell."

Clarity ignited his mostly unresponsive gold orbs, and he took too many steps close to her, speaking only loud enough to be heard. "A spell?"

Uncomfortable with the proximity invasion, Rei let her body angle away from the demon lord without stepping back. "That's right. Does that mean something to you?" But Sesshomaru was already away up the river path too deep in thought to answer. Rei followed, finding the climb far easier then she'd expected with the wet rock.

When they had returned to the three waiting still where they'd been left, they all easily became aware of his silent but commanding being. "We're leaving." It was the only thing necessary to rouse the others into standing and following after. Rei finally caught up, Sesshomaru not waiting for her, or caring if she followed at all. She wasn't needed anymore. But stubbornly she did so, the sound of her overly loud stomps toward Ah-Un to make herself known easily reaching his perceptive ears. She was making a statement, and just to him.

It was no real concern of his but yet he found it all interesting none the less. Why she felt the need to continue was unknown to him, but it didn't give him much reason to pause. Her choices were her own and he was not to be responsible of her. She could do as she liked.

* * *

Uncurling from the folds of a lonesome tree, a small inset was perched, yellow and black with eyes wide and red, but eyes that were not its own, rather mirrors into the mind of another, also perched in a forlorn place. Velvety laughter echoed through the dead cavern. For now the devilish man was alone, his daughters gone away to do as instructed. Hair disheveled about his chest and back as he sat alone in the dark, smiling to himself. Sesshomaru was not putting the pieces together, he was gathering the breadcrumbs left for him to find. He had always been so easy to manipulate, even with his preconceived notion of superiority he thought would save him from such trickery. But it didn't, and Naraku was amused for it. And though it had not been intended, the great dog demon lord was delivering his priestess right into his grasp. Finding that she was well aware of the potential in herself for which she had been brought to fulfill was most enlightening to him, making it all the easier in the end.

Letting the tip of the long triangular shaped blade he brandished in the dark with a black knotted handle and golden guard touch his lips, drawing a drop of fresh blood, satisfaction rolled across his being, and he smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, as do the rights of Pride and Prejudice belong to Jane Austen, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

"There lies the Sea of Trees," said Jaken. "That is the fairest of all the dwellings of demons and magical creatures. There are no trees like the trees of that forest. In the autumn the leaves do not fall, but turn to gold. Only when the spring comes and the new greens emerge do they fall and then the earth is laid with yellow carpets. Now the roof is gold and the pillars are silver grey. My heart would be glad if I were beneath the twilight of that wood and it was springtime."

"My heart will be glad even in the winter," said Rei, "I'm dying back here can we please hurry."

Growing tired of the ride atop Ah-Un, Rei slid off to walk beside. For some time she managed to keep up well, but Sesshomaru was leading them at a great pace, he still and silent as ever, and she soon lagged behind. In spite of the hot sun the wind seemed chill, making the walk more bearable, every step was more painful than the last and she gasped for breath. She had stayed with the company for the last seven days of travel. Sesshomaru had never questioned her following, and when Jaken had tried he was immediately silenced by his lord. The imp dare not ask again. Even Rei was unsure why she followed, but if she was correct it was a foolish reason. She liked to fool herself into imagining she needed the safety, that being with such a powerful demon, or any demon at all for the matter was more for her well being then not. Even Jaken was better protection then being alone. But deep inside herself Rei knew that wasn't the case. She was hard and stubborn, thinking of her well being had never been a priority. She felt denied, as if she had no use, unwanted, by only one in her mind. And so spitefully she troubled Sesshomaru by continuing on, whether he wanted or not.

"We haven't eaten since early morning, Master Jaken. Can't we stop soon?" Rin asked, leaning slightly forward on the dragon beast, who took little notice in the movement.

The imp scoffed, clear displeasure painted on him. "Be silent, Rin. We will stop when it is time to do so and not before. You will do well not to bother Lord Sesshomaru with your mortal concerns."

"Hey, Jaken, come on. She's just a kid," said Rei, staring him down.

He said nothing, only looking forward to the encroaching leaves coming overhead and the falling sun in the distance. They would stop soon. "Ah, the Sea of Trees," he cried. "It brings me such happiness to finally be here again." Under the skyline the trees stood tall arching over their path beneath their spreading boughs. In the dimming light their limbs began to glow grey, and their quivering leaves shined like nighttime stars. Rei sighed to herself in contentment, gazing at the glorious wood all around her. Jaken had described this place but he had undervalued it. Here was a secret gem hidden away among the mountains and for a moment she felt it was all there for her.

They had gone little more than a mile into the wood when they came upon a stream flowing from the tree covered slopes swiftly down that climbed back higher to the mountains. They heard it splashing over a fall among the shadows to the right. Its dark hurried waters ran along the path beside them, going to some far destination away in the distance that mattered little. The roots of trees dipped into the pool taking the water in a greedy way. Rei wondered if it was this fresh mountain water that kept the forest so well.

It was dark. Deep night had fallen. There were many clear stars coming in through the leaves, the fresh moon would be following soon after. Rei was at the rear, walking softly and not speaking, listening to the sounds of the night and the plants. Yet she heard something, or thought she had. As soon as they passed away from the stream, she again heard the high patter of feet and subtle whine. Still she heard it. She turned swiftly. There were beads of water behind dancing up into the air, and for a moment she thought she saw movement past the bend.

"What is it?" asked Rin. Looking back around, she could see that Rei had stopped and was turned away.

"I don't know," answered Rei. "I thought I heard whining, and I thought I saw something move. It was just a shadow but I must've seen something."

Jaken halted and lifted his ear, "Not a sound but the wind," he said. "This is a quiet forest. There are no demons near, or my ears are made of wood."

"No, I'm sure. I'm positive." She heard a quick splash, something trying to be heard but unable to do much more. Instinct shot down her spine and called her feet to move. Where they were now the stream had grown and the roots twisted as long grasping fingers along the edges as far as they could against the shore. Rei moved to the side, letting a strong trunk hold her weight over the edge. The water was dark from the shadow filled trees, so she let her hand slip down feeling for anything. Silt and rock covered her fingers with a grainy touch. It was deeper than she'd believed, being unable to feel the floor. Then her hand grazed something much softer. It was cold and it moved with the water, giving at first the impression of algae or moss, but when it moved against her touch she knew better.

Not thinking, she tossed her legs over the edge letting her body fall with them and into the deep. Sesshomaru turned slightly when he heard the blatant splash and Rin's cries against the action. The child would be troublesome if he insisted in continuing on, and the aggravation that would bring was not worth it in his mind. The few minutes it took for the woman to complete her chore or drown were not ones that could get away from him and not cause much concern. He would not interfere, merely be an observer to the foolishness before him.

Feeling being her only guide was not easy, especially when the entangled roots were mostly what she felt. But then the soft substance touched her hands again, and her heart leapt when it moved still, giving hope. It was hair of some kind, and upon further exploration Rei realized what lay trapped underneath was an animal, for some reason unable to get to the surface. Her heart sped so fast, and the longer she went the more often she needed to lift her neck for precious air she's spent in her panic. Then her hands found the offending roots, two crossed together, with a leg in too deep, the skin pinched in the bark. She pulled and she heard a yelp of understanding, a stream of movement rushing against her face, and with it she rose above water for the last time.

Onto shore, Rei pulled herself up, her muscles straining for the minutes without adequate oxygen. For a moment breathing was her only concern, then she turned to the lump that lay beside. Seeming to be aware eyes were upon its back the creature turned. Muzzle and yellow eyes met her. They were pulsating with wild intense energy, but spoke into her. The silt had not sullied its hair, white as snow, and Rei was glad of it for how beautiful it looked to her. Their gaze did not break for a time, and Rei knew it was safe to move when the tail gave a pleasant twitch. Its ears perked up when a sob broke toward their right.

Rin cowered behind one of Ah-Un's strong legs, her whole body quivering with uncontrolled spasms, eyes wide, but pupils heavily dilated. Even in the limited light Rei could see it. "Rin, what's wrong?" But the child did not answer, only turned her gaze away with another cry, the powerful dragon shielding more of her, and letting out a warning snarl.

But the white wolf gave it no thought, only taking to its feet and giving a little shake. Then ran off without much care. Rei watched it go, the silver sheen of its fur visible only just so.

When the spectacle had ended, Sesshomaru turned to Rei. "Woman, gather Rin up. We have more ground to cover."

Rei turned to him then, giving him a hardened look for his callous behavior toward the girl, and took her up into her cold wet arms. But the girl didn't care, the closeness of another, the warmth bleeding through the soaked cloth gave her some sense of safety, and her shaking started to cease. Rei followed after, thinking less and less of the demon by the days.

* * *

The night wind blew chills that snaked through the trees to meet them, and they heard an endless rustle of leaves in the breeze. It had left her ill at ease for a time, but whatever her dress had been made of dried fast.

Soon afterwards they had come upon another stream that ran down from the west, and joined its bubbling water with the original from the east. Together they plunged over a fall of green and silver-hued stone, foaming down into a glade. All around stood the yellow tipped trees, tall, and bent, creating a protective hovel of glittering color around them. At the base there was a space leveled through which the stream flowed with a twinkling sound over diamond pebbles. There they rested. It was nearly three hours past sunset, and they had come only a few miles from the entrance. Already the moon was high.

"Here is Macelania," said Jaken, most excited. "It is the central stream that webs throughout the whole forest. Legends say that the waters heal the weary and sick. The sounds of the falling water will bring us sleep and restfulness." For a moment Rei stood near the water's brink and let the coolness wash over her tired feet. It was cold but its touch was clean, and as she went on and climbed up to her knees, she felt the strain of travel and weariness washing from her limbs. She let her fingers dip into the pool and pull some water up to splash against her neck, the drops tinging against the silver that hung there.

"Those are lovely."

At last Rei turned, and seeing Rin now curled into herself, spoke to her gently. "You like them? Would you like to see?" The girl nodded and came close, lifting her eyes to where the trinkets were draped. "This one," Rei said, flashing the little star inside a metallic circle, "This one is called a pentacle. It's a religious symbol. And this one here," she said, letting the pentacle drop lightly against her neck and fingering for the silver wolf, "This was from a friend. She traveled to another land called Alaska one summer, and when she came back she brought this for me as a gift. Its one of my most treasured possessions." But the girl coward away then at the sight of the vestige. Biting her lip she desperately desired the thing to be gone from her sight, only now that she could see it close realizing what it was. A nightmare carved into metal.

Rei saw this in her eyes and let the piece fall once more in its place. "You don't like wolves, do you Rin?" The child shook her head, reluctantly. Slowly she slid herself close to the girl, giving her arm as a source of comfort that she happily took. "Oh Rin, wolves are nothing to be afraid of. They're just animals, like fish or birds. If anything you should be more afraid of a human being rather than an animal. Animals at least do things out of instinct in order to protect themselves. Human beings do cruel things to feed their own selfish desires. I know you're afraid, Rin, but they are creatures that demand respect, not fear. Do you understand?" Rin nodded, saying only that she'd certainly try. Rei made a mental note not to tell her the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

"You called that star a symbol of faith," said Jaken. "I've certainly never seen such a thing before."

Rei fingered the silver pendant letting it slide around her grasp gently. "It's for Neopaganism. There are lots of different beliefs, depending on who you talk to, but the general consensus is a honoring of nature, and wanting love and peace for everyone."

Enthusiastically, Jaken took to his feet and reached for the star, wanting to feel the cold metal in his little hand. When his finger found the pendant he felt a surge of lightning pass through his being, not an energetic bolt but one of pain. He cried out at the sensation, despite himself, humiliation an immediate response. Rei let out a voice as well, shock being her reason, and pulled away in mutual fright. Quickly he drew away and held his hand, cursing sporadically under his breath.

"Jaken, are you alright?" Rei reached out for him, but he shooed her hand away with his, still cursing. Sitting back down further away this time, she could hear him say in a hushed voice was an idiotic symbol a star was in the first place. He quickly banished the scene with the dulling pain, wanting to forget he'd been injured by a piece of jewelry, and wanting it to be gone from everyone else's mind just the same.

Rei held the star, confusion filling her. Jaken had been hurt trying merely to touch it, an idea that to her made no logical sense. She had never put any charms on the necklace, never felt the need to. The idea that it would be spelled in some way was ridiculous, but what else could it be? She had been feeling differently the last few days but had attributed it to her revival, something she still wasn't comfortable imagining. But when she let herself think about it all, she knew she'd felt this way ever since arriving. A course of life inside her, something she still didn't understand.

A familiar smell trickled across his nose, and Sesshomaru stood, seeming to grow taller. In his eyes gleamed a light, keen and commanding. Throwing back his fur boa, he laid his hand on the hilt of his sword that hung by his side as he strode past those in his company away deeper into the trees. They did not dare move. Rei sat wide-mouthed staring at him go. There was a long silence. She stood suddenly, shifting her weight between hips. "Where is he going?"

"Ah...it is best not to trouble Lord Sesshomaru with such things," said Jaken.

"You mean you don't even know where he's going?" asked Rei, gesturing the way he went, "Then why not follow him?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Girl!" cried Jaken, "Lord Sesshomaru does not need trailing after, especially by one such as you. Many a time my lord will depart to settle one matter or another. It is best not to interfere."

Rei sat silent and said no more. She had a great deal to think about. This man Sesshomaru gave her reason to pause. But there was more than her company's peculiarity. After a while she sighed, and stood again. There was a fresh cool breeze against her neck with the pale evening fading into night. Ignoring the protests of the others she strode away in the direction the dog demon had gone, thinking thoughtfully.

For a short while she followed the lane westward past the bushel of silver trees and crackling leaves. The path was laid perfectly out before her, the lane parting for the previous passer by. It went in single file past hedgerows and borders and she did her best to be quiet, despite her poor shoes for the attempt. Even the wild things about the wood kept silent, still startled. Then as a veil the leaves parted and it turned quietly to fields. The green rolled up and down, climbing up steep banks in zig zag ways, then down for a long time. The lower lands were dotted with clumsy trees in the distance.

After some time Rei crossed the water, a narrow stream like a clear ribbon from within the forest, bordered with what remained of the silver trees, melting into brown. She hastily crossed, stepping across the polished stones and followed her way to higher ground. The climb slopped up to the stars in the sky twinkling in their gentle way over the field.

There was a sound of gruff groans and pleasing footsteps away in the lane, coming slow and clear down the wind. Quickly and quietly she slipped off her path and scaled the side to find a low but better view running into the deeper shade. She stood as silent as shadows, listening. She had no time to find a hiding place in the grey and pale place, lines of lightening beams trickled down from the moon. Among it the stars were thick in the dim sky. As she moved across the bend she could hear no more.

Finding the curiosity in herself boiling over she gave way her need to hide and climbed above the hilltop. As Rei watched she saw two dark forms stand between the lighter spaces in the night sky. One was taller than the other, but from the distance it was hard to say the sex, both wearing long robes and flowing long hair swaying side to side. Rei thought she heard the very sound of irritation.

Eyes adjusting the taller form came to be Sesshomaru, the moon as it rose hung for a moment above his head and glistened in his white hair as the wind stirred it, staring down a stern face. This one was surly a woman, and though her face held no pleasure for life she was very lovely to look upon. She was a china doll, eyes wide the color of molten chocolate, hair a rich black gone past her hips, tied loosely by a white ribbon just under her neck, with skin of cream and alabaster. What she wore looked much like the old woman Kaede had, a white jacket, sleeves wide down to her wrist sown in with cords along the hems. Slits along the shoulders reveled a white undershirt of some kind. Her pants were a bright crimson cherry reaching her ankles, a tie the same color around her waste in a bow. On her feet were simple socks and clog sandals.

They stood silent on the hill top, near the northern edge. They regarded each other poorly with cold uncaring eyes, only the wind daring to move. Rei could feel the tension from where she stood, waves of negative energy pouring away from their shoulders and backs, entangling in the space between, acting as repelling magnets, twisting in angry and vicious knots. Neither would give the other the right to space, pushing against the other with a stubborn and demanding aura. Sometimes the leaves kicked up by the wind would purposefully avoid touching the two for fear of the punishment it would cause.

Then the woman's eyes poured away from the deadly dog lord to find Rei standing a hill away. The woman considered her bitterly, eyeing every stitch and curve and despising all of it. And though she kept her composure she desired nothing more than to be away from the strange foreign woman more so then the demon before her. "I see you've collected another human, Sesshomaru," she fluttered her eyes in controlled slow sensuality that to her came natural but unintentional. "I suggest though that you be rid of this one. There is an oddity about her."

"You will not speak to me as if you have the right. Be gone, walking dead." Sesshomaru was harsher then expected, a surprise to Rei, making her now realize his behavior with them thus far was customary, and pleasant. Now the very sight of this lovely woman disgusted him and he wanted nothing more than for her to be gone from his sight. She did not keep him waiting. Away she began, not expecting him to step aside for her, strolling at her own fresh pace, the little sound of her sandals echoing about the air. When finally she reached an even place with Rei, the woman glanced over, the look of her eyes bringing danger to Rei's senses. She was hard and deadly without anger coming over her. Instead she was cool and collect, only making it more frightening. Rei wanted to be gone from her, gone from anywhere this woman was.

She stood a while on her hill. In that lonely place Rei for the first time realized fully her homelessness and danger. She bitterly wished that her fortune had left her in the quiet bathroom at that New Years party. When she was finally ready she could've opened the door again to find everyone crowded around the kitchen, remembering school days and finding people once again who they hadn't seen in years, reveling that they were much less annoying than before. All the hors d'oeuvres would be picked over while the idiot who had experimented with mushrooms would be passed out amongst the coats. Everyone would be drawing embarrassing things on his cheeks and forehead. She hadn't even been able to watch the ball drop. She stared down at the hateful road she'd taken, wishing at the end was home, that she could just turn around and that would be the end of it. But it wasn't so. Instead a woman she'd never met seemed to want her gone from this world in an insufferable way, along with whatever else she had yet to find. It wasn't until Sesshomaru was there again that Rei realized the woman had been gone several moments, her presence leaving a lasting impression.

"What are you doing here, Woman?"

She had to look up to meet his eyes, four inches above her own, which she couldn't help but admit frustrated her. "You just ran off without saying anything."

"My business is my own," he said, beginning to walk away from the displeasing scene, only to be stopped by the sight of Rin and Jaken with Ah-Un approaching, calling for him. A most displeasing scene indeed.

"Oh! My lord Sesshomaru!" cried Jaken, skipping toward the man, "It isn't my fault milord. I told them to leave you be to your affairs, but they wouldn't listen."

But neither was Sesshomaru, still walking back toward where camp had been placed. Jaken tried to follow, crying still for his master, desperately wanting approval from him rather than the impending lashings.

Rin ignored as usual, strolling over in her merry way to Rei's side, the dragon beast trailing behind by the reins. "Are you alright, Rei?" Rei didn't answer, only sighed and nodded, patting the child to continue forward and follow Sesshomaru back. The girl troubled Rei more than most things. Why she felt so inclined to be around Sesshomaru was something she could not fathom, and better yet, why Sesshomaru allowed the girl. Gentile men of the age who took pity on young orphans to make them their wards did not seem to fit the mold of this man, but questioning it seemed less an option, and so she continued after, mostly unsatisfied.

In the dead night following was not made easy. Then she saw the young moon be uncovered by the clouds. Under the thin light there loomed an empty field of closed buds. Up from the dark plain came the singing of many fell voices across the moon, the howling of wolves. There was a strong wind like a galloping of many hoofs through the sky echoing past them, whishing away the mist and the vapors across the land. Rei stood motionless, only listening to the sounds around her and taking comfort in them, her mind wandering into some unremembered dream. Then the light grew brighter against the buds, and they turned up toward the glorious light. Like a dance upon soft air, the delicate design of the buds fluttered open, purple and white, filled with purity and radiating the very light of the moon they so desperately craved. Rei's eyes were filled with wonder, she was captivated, and wanted to take one into her hand, but afraid if she touched them the magic would die and she'd be all alone again.

She was vaguely aware that the little imp had come back, returning to claim Rin who had stopped when Rei had, and now he stood by her side watching the vision before them. "They're called the Moonflower." How original. "They come form a foreign land where the moon is honored, or so I'm told. The land is small and green, with rolling hills and wild barbarians, who dress in green and brown with flaming red hair. Their features are like yours, I believe."

Powerlessly Sesshomaru stopped, wanting to observe.

"They're so beautiful," cried Rin in delight, jumping on her toes slightly. "Oh I just want to pick them all."

Indeed in some corner of Rei's heart there played a merry tune of flutes and Obbligato violins, and her body began to sway to familiar songs. "Do you dance, Sesshomaru?" Only he didn't answer, just glared in his usual way, swiveling his eyes where they were meant to go, and piercing hard. Immediately she averted her eyes in displeasure, "Rin, did you ever learn to dance?" The child shook her head no, a touch of melancholy in her eyes. "Would you like to learn?"

"Oh yes, I would very much!" She was easily excitable. Rei guided the girl away from the others by the hand that they may have the room. Still holding the girls hands, Rei began the simplest of steps she could imagine. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Understanding that she was to be led, and let her body just natural move when told to by another was difficult. Many a time she would anticipate too soon and step down on Rei. She thanked the gods Rin was small.

Willing and wanting, she continued to try. Keeping the slow rhythm began to bore her immensely, even though she wasn't very good at it. Seeing this, Rei took more control, demanding the girl would give away the lead, and spun her about. Extending her arm away Rin was unfolded out into the air, then spun back into her place with ease. They laughed then, making fools out of their time, but not caring for the fun of it. What more was there in life to take?

"Enough of this foolishness, Rin. Return to camp." Sesshomaru's words were stone, just as his eyes.

The two did stop their movement, breathing slightly from it all. Rin looked up to Rei, hoping to find some sort of safety, a way that it could continue, but when she found none, her eyes fell to her feet and sighed. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

And the child began off, following after Jaken and Ah-Un. Rei watched her go, feeling remorse for the girl. Her mouth took her away again. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded, moving to stand directly in Sesshomaru's line of vision, accusing. "She's just a little girl. Can't you just give her a little something to enjoy?"

But the demon brushed her off with is eyes, moved away to continue after them, saying nothing. But his silence spoke more than any words could. It said so very clearly he regarded her as nothing, less than nothing, to him she might as well have not even been there. More passion built in the pit of her stomach, and she kept on speaking. "You are such a jackass!" It was clearly the wrong thing to say, but it didn't stop her from continuing. "I just don't get what those two are doing with you. They're so devoted to you it makes no sense. You don't even care about them. You're so consumed with yourself and what you're doing. Never mind that someone else might have something to say around here."

Sesshomaru turned then to face her, in his placid way. He was regarding her now, and expecting her to carry on, which she had no reservations in doing. "I know you're some all powerful demon or whatever the fuck y'all think around here, but you're not immortal, you know. You're still going to die someday. And when you do what's gonna be left of you? Nothing. Do you know why we humans do all those things you think are such wastes of time, like have families and go out to make names of ourselves? It's so there's something left after we're gone. It's the only immortality we have. In the way we're remembered in people's hearts. But you? You wander around all obsessed with yourself and your life that you don't make any time to leave an impression on people. You don't try at all to build any kind of relationships." The word was foreign to him, and it made his eyes flicker. "You're gonna die someday, Sesshomaru, either by someone's sword or an old man in your bed but its going to happen, and if you don't start building something for yourself then there's going to be nothing you leave behind. And it might as well be like you never lived at all."

Rei found Sesshomaru looking at her, as if she had been yelling into the darkness and had forgotten he was there. He stepped forward when he knew she would say no more, and Rei felt her heart run away with her faster than her mouth. A sure end was coming, and he would do it with a casual look in his eyes that said it was a nice night for a stroll. Before she had realized it he was only inches from her, watching her intently. She met his eyes, her stomach in her throat. "And how do you suggest that I build these relationships?"

Rei gave no thought to her answer, her tongue knew what to say, and she silently thanked Jane Austen for the words, "Dancing, even when one's partner is barely tolerable."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

The nights had deepened. The soft sounds of stone walls and cold air along the lane. Inside, threads of white cascaded in a molten dance that they may touch and become one. Along the edges there stopped a figure colored like the shades of the night, creeping across the ground. One leg went to one side, one to the corner, and one into the center, all extended out, the touch of Pointe shoes along the fibers, where they stood still as shadows. The cave walls seemed to be waiting breathlessly. There was a faint stir at one end of the tapestry that caused it all to shake. Quickly the offending disturbance was quelled, and consumed with the silent movements of eight little feet. Arched downward from the body the head gobbled away, taking notice of nothing, the head of a man, with disheveled hair black and long, and bloody eyes that caused nightmares.

In the early night Rei woke from her deep sleep, as if some sound or presence had disturbed her. There was still a picture she could recall that her mind had brought her in her sleep, but it was slowly fading away. Only the feeling it left her with remained, and she tried desperately to search her mind that she could place an image to that feeling, but it was all too quick and gone just the same. She saw that Sesshomaru was sitting alert against a tree, his eyes gleaming in the light of the fire, which had been tended to and was still brightly burning, but made no sign of movement. Rei soon fell back to sleep, but her dreams were again troubled by the sounds of the wind and leaves. She opened her eyes and heard a cock crowing lazily in the distance. The demon's sensitive ears gave a little twitch at the hollers. The first grey light of the day was peaking through the canopy and a cool air was coming through the way.

It was already mid day when they drew near the southern end of the path, and could see in the clear light of the high sun, a grey bank speckled green, leading down. Sesshomaru had planned to make down at once, while the others remained. The journey would make concealment no longer possible, and he could only hope that no enemy or spy would observe. Nothing peaked his senses though. If Naraku or any of is incarnations were about, there was no sign of them.

On the western side they found a sheltered hollow, the bottom of which was a bowl shaped dell, grass trying desperately to break through the heavy stones. Here Rin and Jaken were told to remain with Ah-Un, but insisted Rei follow. Naraku desired her for some reason, having her along seemed like the more tactical approach. The old hag might be able to shed light on the full situation. After ten minutes of a plodding climb down they reached the base of the gorge. The last slope had been steep and smooth. It was a nuisance to wait for Rei, Sesshomaru only needed a gentle leap to take him to the rocky floor, but no such thing for a fragile human woman. She moved in a desperately slow pace, fearfully taking every step, many times more than once to be sure it was a safe one. It would have been made so simple if he had carried her down, but it was a suggestion neither would've accepted, let alone dared to make.

On the bottom they found a wide ring of ancient stonework, mostly crumbled now or age covered. Rei could barely make out the symbols carved along inside, and quickly came to realize they were the old Germanic Runes. Always having had a desire to learn the language, she cursed herself now for never having tried. But in the center of the stone chain there sat a shack. Shack was too good of a description for what lay before them, it was more of a hole with a door. More of the runes were carved into the walls and above he door, with charms and herbs arranged in just the places Rei knew to mean wards of protection and banishment, but there was no sign of any living thing. All round them was the pan of lands empty and featureless, except for patches of woodland daring to spring up again in the south and the glint here and there of distant water. Away to the east their eyes followed a line to the mountains, brown and somber, some reaching grey or green and some were high with white peaks painted by the clouds. Nothing was moving here. This gorge was a lone prospect of vacant existence, made to keep others away.

Sesshomaru followed in without a care, knocking away the pots of flowers and herbs at the boarder. It seemed odd that he knew just what to be rid of. They all looked to be fresh, as did the pots, only just painted. He let out a wicked pound against the door, nearly knocking it to the ground, "Open the door, Witch." For a few moments the shack remained silent, being more quiet than the dead, but again Sesshomaru called out in his deep unmistakable tone, "Burn then."

The door creaked finally open. At the threshold stood a wiry woman, age taking everything from her, even the power to blink. Her nose was long and jagged, eyes wide set on her long narrow face. Her robes were mostly unkempt and poorly made, all blue and purple with no patterns falling down her weak shoulders. Her hair, long and grey cascaded in knotted tangles to the floor, brushing the dirt as she walked with her hobble steps. "Oh my, Lord Sesshomaru. What a pleasant surprise." She spoke stutteringly slow, not looking into the demon's golden eyes, her voice a horse concoction.

"You lied to me, Witch. You told me Naraku was in a cave to the far south. But he wasn't." His voice was stringing along in a calm manner. It gave Rei chills to hear.

"But he was there! You must believe me, milord. The bones do no lie. Come, come, I will divine for you again. You'll see, I will lead you to him." The bony woman held her hands up to meet Sesshomaru's eyes, clasped together as she begged. He said nothing in response, only pushed his way inside to the foul little room in which she lived.

Rei came to follow right after, but the woman put her hand up between Rei and the stoop. "You, human! You are not welcome in my home. Begone! Before I pluck out your eyes and rip out your tongue for one of my brews." She wagged an emaciated finger in Rei's face, her raspy voice going lower to sound more threatening. Sesshomaru said nothing, thinking little of it.

But Rei had come this far, she refused to be cast aside. "You don't scare me, you old hag. What can you do? I don't even see a Familiar around, huh? This is just some con you're pushing, isn't it?"

"What?" cried the old woman, startled by the things Rei was saying.

"You have no talent for the Craft do you, Hag? He came here once before and you steered him wrong. What's to say you won't do it again? He should come to me instead. Why, I've been divining for years now, and I'm never wrong." Rei was boasting now, but it wasn't entirely untrue. At least, she'd never had anyone come back to her with bad results after a reading.

But the old woman was fearful now. What if Sesshomaru would take to heart what the human had said? If he believed she was powerless he would surely slay her without a second thought. A wave of panic slipped down her throat, and she'd forgotten why she cared at all if the human girl would come in. "You claim I have no skill? You doubt me? I am the great demon witch Majyo! Come then. I will show you my art!"

Rei smiled to herself as she stepped in a jaunty way over to Sesshomaru's side. He only watched her, and then gave a thin glare when she came to stand beside him. Not wanting to start anything, she rolled her eyes and stepped back, where he liked her. Rei now took in the full view of the shack. There was very little room inside, shelf space being the greatest attribute. There was a place for everything. Jars of all sizes were arranged against the wall, all strange objects and colors inside. She could only make out a few contents. Some were herbs, dried and fresh, some were fruits and things given by the ground. Others seemed darker, with pink things that came from under skin and bone. One jar had several particularly large toes, and some with teeth, flesh still attached at the roots. On a shelf the witch fingered a red satin pouch and poured the contents out onto a small table before them. They were many, and had once been white but slightly grainy now, all polished and small. Bones. They way they fell was supposed to mean something to the diviner. Rei knew the process well, having seen it done once but never wanting to try. She felt comfortable with just using Tarot Cards. Less death involved.

Majyo tossed the little bones and they landed in all directions, some falling together and some further away toward the edge of the table. Majyo watched them, seeing a message in their landing that no one else seemed to. She hmmed and ahhed to herself finding it all very curious, but it seemed mostly for show. "It seems he departed not long after we met. There was business he had elsewhere. Business, even now, he still tends to."

Sesshomaru gave out a grunt, eyeing the witch coldly. It wasn't the information he wanted, and he had little patience for the pathetic creature at this point. She sensed this and took the bones up into the palms of her hands again and let them fall. This time most stayed together in the center with only a few falling out of line with the others. "He is hiding now, in a small estate. There are others with him. His children are there. And they come and go often as he commands." Children? Up until now Rei had only met one of these charming creatures, and she was dreading the thought that there could be more. "The estate is to the north, on a hill top, between two bent trees." She looked up to him then, finally facing his eyes. "Now, please milord. Surely that is enough. Have I not been forgiven?"

Again he watched her with his usual disconcerting gaze. "Only once I have found Naraku will your betrayal be forgotten."

"Betrayal? asked Rei, curious now. "What did you do?"

Majyo would have cut out the girl's tongue for the comment, but seeing Sesshomaru there, who allowed the human being in his wake, made her pause. Twiddling her thumbs in shame and disgrace she answered. "I aided that disgusting half breed. He came demanding a book. One of a kind. And for good reason. It was full of dark magicks. I curse the soul that ever brought it to this land. But I kept it, knowing that it would be safe and untouched with me. I told him that he would be unable to read the spells, but he insisted he had a way of translating it."

"What was in this book?" Rei asked, her heart starting to pound. This meant something. It was all connected. Everything is connected. "What was in the book? You have to tell me, okay, you have to tell me. What was in the book?"

"Away with you foul human," said the demon witch, waving her fingers in her face gesturing her to be gone. "Your stick is filling my home."

"No you don't understand. I need to know what was in that book. Just tell me, okay. What was in the book? What did he want with it? You have got to tell me now. What was in the book?" Grasping forward she soon became aware she'd taken hold of the witch's bone shoulders, shaking slightly, and she'd begun to shout. The demoness felt furry in her old bones, and cast the girl away in a harsh manner. From within her slacking kimono she drew a stiletto blade between her long fingers. She lifted it over the girl's head ready to strike. Rei backed away, shocked and shaking. Her instincts didn't reach her, instead she felt the wall against her back and just watched the blade's point come down. A wave of white came before her eyes. Sesshomaru glided into the shack again, stopping the witch's wrist with ease from falling any farther. Majyo began to shake just as Rei had. She dropped the long blade and backed away, holding the wrist that Sesshomaru had so strongly grasped.

Feeling safe behind Sesshomaru's strong back, Rei peaked around, giving another hard stare. Sesshomaru did the same. "I do not know!" the witch cried, feeling cornered by predators and she fragile prey. "I do not know what he wanted but I dare not ask. The half-breed is much too powerful."

"Well," said Rei, calming herself, "What was in it?"

"I do not know. I would never read it. The magicks it contained...It came from a far off land many seas away. Witches are plentiful. Men and women. They can weave herbs and a candle together and call thunderstorms. Some choose to aid others around them. While some call forth plagues and misery. They worship trees and speak to the earth. Oh, it was tempting I tell you. To have such power that just a meager page could give me. I would grow more powerful than even a demon with the gifts of the Shikon no Tama. All would fear me and despair! But it is too great a risk, too deadly. All too much. That half-breed wanted its power. I am glad it is gone from me!"

"If Naraku was just a simple half-breed like you say, how could he be so strong? You're a demon right? Couldn't you just defend yourself?"

Rei watched the flicker of anger in the witch's eyes, and backed away slightly again, making it aware she would put Sesshomaru between herself as a shield. Sesshomaru was made aware of it as well, a displeasing glare laid on Rei that she ignored. "Yes, I am a demon. An Ogre demon. But Naraku is not like the rest of us. He was a human once. Everyone knows the story. He was a rotting human, laying in a cave waiting to die. But he held love for a priestess that would not be his and desired the power of a great source. And so he called out to demons far and wide with his evil wicked heart to consume him and give him power. His wish was granted, and he became the demon he is now."

"So he is powerful then?" asked Rei. "So why need some spells? Isn't he good enough now?

"Not true, you see," said the witch. "There is something else inside him, which no one yet sees. Even with all the body and bones consumed, the heart was not wholly ruined. It proved stronger than the demonic energies overtaking it. This heart is still his own. It lives inside Naraku even now, bringing itself out at the most inopportune times. It is his greatest limitation. But it only tortures Naraku more that the compassion and weakness leak out to destroy him. He wants nothing more than to banish his human heart. Yet he can't cast it away from himself."

"What do you mean?" asked Rei. "If he hates it all so much why doesn't he get rid of it, or go away and leave it?"

"It is nothing a simple weak human could understand," said Majyo, "He hates it but he needs it. He can't just be rid of it. While it does weaken him in times where the heart will react to what he does and stops him, when he heart is gone from him his power diminishes. He seeks to find a way to remove the heart but still maintain his strength. Grow more powerful in fact. But such facts are unknown. As far as I know Naraku is the first one of his kind, there has never been a made demon in all of history. He came to me for aid in the ways of magick. But still my power is not enough. There are no magicks that can dissolve an internal psyche. Even that book surely does not contain the secrets he hopes to find."

There were more then just one power at work. Rei knew that. Everything had to be connected. She was here not because this Naraku had summoned her. Indeed she would serve his purposes, but something else. The spellbook, this place, this feeling. It all washed over her in a calling, and she knew it wasn't all just a tapestry the fates had weaved. She was meant to be here. It was supposed to be an encouraging thought. But it wasn't. It only made the situation more troubling.

"But you trouble me, Human," Majyo said, "How is it that you know of such things? Of divining and of spells? Are these things you have been exposed to, or do you simply guess?"

The witch watched Rei break out into a cold sweat. Sesshomaru was staring at her now too. He as well felt some curiosity for how she seemed so keen on the things the witch spoke of. Rei felt her breath hitch in her throat. The truth was not to be told, she knew that, this was not the place or the time. Instead she swallowed hard and tried to pass it all off. "These sorts of things are widely known where I come from. I mean, everyone's been to a few fortune tellers now and again for one thing or another. This sort of thing isn't hidden away. Besides, with all this it was pretty obvious what you were."

"And when did you discover that?" asked the witch.

"Just now, of course," Rei answered, sharply. "I mean I expected a large boiling cauldron and a few stray cats hanging around. But all the funky ingredients in the jars kind of gave it all away."

"Then you have seen this all before in your waking life?"

The hiking crackle in the woman's voice gave Rei a feeling of a cold shot running down her spine. It felt like a threat, or an all too cleaver inquiry. "I've seen pictures and the like. I went to a fortune teller once, actually. She told me I would meet an ill tempered old woman with eyes on her shelf. I guess she meant you."

The witch wasn't amused. "Then, you have been exposed to this? You understand its ways?"

"No, not really. I mean you hear the stories," Rei said, trying to deflect the situation. It wasn't going the way she liked, making her take more and more pleasure out of the dog demon whom the witch seemed to fear still standing between the two. "Dancing naked under the full moon. Jumping off the roof to fly. Killing your husbands too. You know, the old stuff. Everyone's heard that."

"Heard, yes." The crone moved in a few more feet, thinking little of Sesshomaru, nor fearing the glint in his gold eyes when she came closer. "But have you ever dabbled?"

Rei began to protest but the woman cut her off, her voice seeming to be degrading. Rei hadn't noticed until now but, it was only getting worse. It seemed to be falling apart. "I hear tale of the witches of other lands. Many hide their art. People fear their power and so they are constantly observed. Death awaits anyone caught conjuring. So they keep it all out in plain sight so as not to be suspicious. A leather bound journal full of incantations. Special ingredients kept with the ones for cooking." Majyo reached out then, her long claw-like nails closing in toward Rei's neck. "A piece of jewelry." She tapped the encircled star, only to feel a jolt run through the nail into her flesh. Quickly she pulled away, holding the injured hand with a steady cry of pain. Rei was glad now that her pendant was suddenly so deadly. "I see," was all the witch would say.

Seeking something, anything to redirect the conversation again away from herself, Rei opened up, casually and cautiously. "You got me. I tried to cast a love spell once," she said, waving her arms as if in defeat. "But it didn't work. So there goes the last of my experiments. But Naraku, he dabbles? That's why he came to you, right? He didn't know what he was doing so he wanted your help?"

"Ah, Naraku," she said, exasperating, as if she were happy to hear the name and to say it again. "He came to me indeed long ago, with a life sized doll in his arms. Then the doll came to life, and began to walk and talk as I do. 'This is my human heart,' he told me, 'You will sever this connection from me that I will not bear any of his weaknesses and he shall bear none of mine.' And so I tried. I was with the doll that contained the heart's essence inside for three months."

"I recall you said he'd only come to you once for a book," said Sesshomaru, his eyes lighting up and his mouth pulling to a slight grin. It was frightening. "Were you lying to me then, Witch?"

"Why, why, why no! I only meant what he was there for that day." Majyo tried to smile in an awkward way, but Sesshomaru's eyes were on her. The sound of his knuckles cracking as they flexed weighted heavily in the small space. "Wait! You will want to hear what I have to say!" Her plea seemed to work, and his shoulders relaxed and waited again for her to continue. She did so immediately. "At first, the doll did not know who it was, or who it had once been. It was retaining new memories, and constantly complaining of its lack of knowledge. And while the doll never slept it began to have waking dreams of the life it had lived as a human man. It came slow at first, only small things that made little sense. But soon it escalated. He was beginning to remember his life again. It was very hard on him. He could even remember how it felt to be devoured by the demons in the cave in which he died. He remembered it all. It weighed on him heavily, and there were many weeks spent in just pure rage. Then the complacency set in. There were very few things he was willing to tell, and what he did tell was mostly lies. All ridiculous stories."

"Why didn't he tell the truth?" asked Rei.

"His evil deeds in his old life haunted him. He killed many in the seeking of his selfish desires. In order to save himself from this he built up a defiance for everything he'd ever done. He was forced to do this or it was others in fact who had done that. He repeated these to himself, even in the dark of night when he believed I slept, until he almost believed it all. This all took place within the first two months together, but then a new light came to him. You see, all he had ever wanted was the love of the priestess that had tried to save his life in his dying moments and the power of the Shikon no Tama. You see, though he was still bound to these desires, still wanted them, they were no longer devouring him. He was beginning to revive a little. He felt old, terribly old, yet more alive than he ever had, and constantly crying. Finally he began to admit the truth of his life, not really to me, but to himself. He repented for all he had done and forgave himself of it all. He found himself stronger and bolder with new experiences and new air."

But though the story sounded lovely and all inspiring, the sight of a living doll was nowhere about. "So what happened to him?" Rei asked.

"Ah," said the witch sadly, looking to the floor, "That is the unhappy part of my tale. In that third month together he found more humanity then he had ever had when he'd been alive. And he took to the silly habit of laying down at night when I did. He moved his chest as if he could breathe. And suddenly he felt hunger, a sensation he had long since forgotten. He was no longer a doll, he was coming alive. My powers were unable to do little for him. Naraku had wanted me to study him, to discover him, and to find a way to sever the connection but keep Naraku in place. For I found out later that not only was he weaker without the human heart, but he was also unstable, the demons within himself were escaping and becoming their own again. Much of himself was lost in those three months, scurrying away in dark little places catching small frightened or unwary things. I had no magick over what became of that doll. If anything all I could possibly do was slow down the process, but he was most certainly taking back his live. I suppose Naraku suspected this because he returned."

"Is that when he came for the book?" Rei asked, Sesshomaru desiring to know the end of the story as well, though he wouldn't admit it.

"No, Naraku was never aware of the book in the first place. Then, he came only to see the progress of the doll. And I believe, truly, that he guessed at what was occurring. It does not surprise me if he would, he seems to know everything with certainty. But regardless, he took the doll, now mostly a man. Or tried to. The man put up a deadly fight, and it was then that I learned and only then that the man had come to have blood within him. He did not take the heart back into him then. Instead he returned to his safe haven, protected by his children, and then reabsorbed the heart. He felt unsafe doing so without the guard of his incarnations, because taking this life into him might cause strange after effects. I do not know for sure if there were, that I was never told, nor did I care to ask. Already his wrath was down upon me for not having found a way to sever the connection. I failed him, and so he promised he would return. But as I said, I do not know if taking the heart into himself caused complications. I only know that he did not return to me again afterword for several months."

Knowing this caused Sesshomaru's mind to stir. The heart, the essence of the once human man still lived inside Naraku, not only that, it was more than just a certain presence, but an entity, likely not a dormant one. And left alone to its own devices, it could come alive again. It stole the life away from Naraku, surely as the days passed, and it could do so again.

"Then is when he came, but not initially for the book and no longer concerned with the troublesome human heart. Instead he thought again only of the Shikon no Tama. There are parts of the jewel he cannot touch. They were...purified...by a powerful priestess. Her power seeps into it, as she was the original caretaker, and in fact is the same woman whom the human heart within Naraku still yearns for. He has long since tried to twist her with his dark ways, but she is too pure to come to him. Always he attempts to ensnare her into his grasp. First he tried to appeal to her better nature, but she denied him. Then he tried to threaten her, weakening her and nearly ending her life, but still she vexed him with her stubborn denial. Many more attempts have been made, but always with the same result. And so he finally grew tired of the troublesome bitch, and came seeking someone to replace her."

Another inconsistency. She had said she did not know what Naraku had wanted. Her story continued to change, as did her person. She seemed more animated at present, and now that Sesshomaru could process the time with her long enough to observe it all, her voice had begun to change as well. She spoke higher now, faster, the sound coming deep from within her throat, almost humming.

"I could not aid him much, a most troubling thing to me, as I desperately wanted to, but there are no priestesses as powerful as she. Not even I have the power to purify the Shikon no Tama. I tried. Oh I certainly tried, for him. But it only rebounded and injured me instead. But there are other powers. Kept away, in the deep." Her eyes wandered to a chest, a heavy wooden chest in the corner of the room covered by a drape.

Rei had never noticed it before, but she forced her attention to other places. "So there was a spell to remove whatever this priestess had done?"

"You ridiculous girl!" the witch said, "Such a spell does not exist! Only the most dark and evil of powers could remove the purity of that priestess. No there were other far more useful things in those pages."

"Wait!" cried Rei, forsaking her demon shield, "You said you had no idea what was in that book."

"I never said such a thing!"

"But you did. You said you'd never read it," Rei said, waving an accusing finger in the witch's face, forgetting herself.

"Foul girl! Disgusting human bitch! You dare speak to me with your mortal lies and your fleshy stink! I have many friends I tell you, friends that will come to you for my revenge! You will regret this defiance I say to you now!" With her clawed wrinkled hands she reached out for the girl, salivating. Again Sesshomaru pulled her away, this time retaliating, with only a simple downward stroke against the old woman's wrist. It seemed he was only tapping her, and then a piece came tumbling down, bouncing here and there against the earth floor. Against the wall she went, screaming and crying out for a hand that was no longer there.

She held it up, as if asking Sesshomaru why. He was glad to answer. "I do not tolerate your insubordination," he said with his coldest of glares. The same hateful energy that Rei had come to know radiated off his shoulders and surrounded her throat, tightening slowly. Only one step he took toward her, but he might as well have wrapped his long slender fingers around to squeeze.

Rei spoke then, once again feeling confident in herself. She would take as much liberty as she could in this, just this once. "Was there a ritual in that book to summon someone from another place?"

At first Majyo said nothing, only continued to cower, holding her now ruined arm at the wrist where the cut had been made, but when she looked up into Sesshomaru for some sort of protection, he denied her. The questions were curious to him, but only with the knowledge he clearly had. This human woman with him was a peculiar one. The way she looked, the way she dressed, how she spoke and performed actions so unlike a proper lady with no thought to it, as if it were common, yet her natural grace and elegance shone through everything she did. It reminded him of the woman who traveled with his half brother, with short black hair and an even shorter bit of clothing, a bit less mature, and a bit better kept with her language, but both were strange none the less. He had known the woman with InuYasha came from elsewhere, though he didn't care to ask more than that. Now he found the situation curious, and more so, what could this woman offer? She possessed no skill, she was clearly useless. But there must be something she was good for. Something that made Naraku feel the need to spirit her away here. It was all very curious. "Answer the question."

Then she turned to Rei, fearfully, wanting to be away from the stares of the demon's cold golden orbs, looking for safety in the weak human's green ones. "Yes, there was."

Rei took a step forward, hovering over the demon witch, who had now sunk onto her haunches to the ground. "Was there a spell to undo the summoning?" The witch was only consumed with herself and her fear, so she did not answer. Rei reached down and grasped the good wrist and shook it, her voice pitching again. "Was there a return spell?" Majyo could only shake her head yes, still consumed with her panic. By now she'd wrapped her sleeve across the severed arm. There was little blood loss, but it was still deadly none the less, and she cradled it like an infant under her arm.

Rei turned away from her then, forgetting everyone in the room. Only she with her thoughts stood there, realizing the full gravity of the situation. Here was a way to return home. A way she'd likely never see. "This is all so fucked up!" In her fury she lashed out against the wall, beating it with both fists. There again with her mouth, and the offending sound made Sesshomaru wince mentally. "What the fuck am I going to do now? I can't use that stupid well. That was my only shot! I'm never going to get home now." Her voice broke then and from the corner of Sesshomaru's eye he could see her shoulders begin to shake. "I wish that bastard Naraku would just die."

"Don't speak in that way, Girl! You should feel pity for Lord Naraku. He has only ever strived for what he so rightly deserves. Is it too much to ask that the world give him but the few desires he has? If you should wish anyone dead, it should be that priestess bitch! All this is her doing. If she would only do as she was told all these troublesome occurrences would never need to have come about."

"Lord Naraku?" cried Rei, confused, "You said he was a disgusting half-demon."

"Never!" screamed out the witch, almost singing it, "Never would I say such a thing! My lord is wise and noble and powerful. All should bask in his glory. He is no more demanding than any other master. And he rewards well those in his service."

Her eyes fell down once more to the ground and for just the slightest moment danced to the chest again. Still covered Rei saw now it was old, the wood full of rust and chipping, the paint was dulled now with age but Rei could tell it had once been precious. The wood looked loving and soft and it...it called to her. As soon as her eyes fell on it she felt her pulse race, her heart beat heavily loud, adrenaline coursing through her limbs. She approached it cautiously without realizing she was doing so, examining it before she knelt down. From behind she could hear the sounds of slight struggle, the witch screaming for Rei to get away from the chest, threatening even, but Sesshomaru had silenced her nonsense, pushing her back to her place on the floor. It bore the telltale signs of once having a lock but no more. Something had once been in here that was no longer, something that warranted others needed to be kept out. She reached for the lid and lifted, the rust hinges screaming in protest. In the bottom of the chest lay straw and sacking, which she removed and placed across her knees. Slowly peeling away the layers, she came at last to what they hid away, at the very bottom, a fine length of polished silver.

It was a dagger, Celtiberian in origin. The blade was long and shaped perfectly downward like an arrowhead, mostly thin around the blades edges but thinker in the middle. The guard was a long oval of gold, stretched to encompass the wide blade. From there the handle rose up thick as well, a soft polished thing, made to look like wood but clearly not so, braided around itself, and topped with a golden orb to crown it all. It lay within its sheath, a poorly designed piece of tanned hide, sown together by a child perhaps, but suitable enough for its purpose. It was black in most places, covered by a few strips of brown. Her heart beat fast when she touched the silver piece. Blood rushed to her head and she held it to her chest. "My Athame..."

"You wretched girl! Give me that back! It's mine I tell you. Mine!"

Only then did Rei realize the witch had been screaming much of the time, her voice just now reaching her sense. Rei stood then, still holding the dagger against her, so tight her knuckles bleached white. "Where did you get this?"

Rei thought it would be a fight with the hag, but instead she only smiled, the smile of someone gone mad. "Why, my lord gave it to me." Her voice was a steady hum, almost a buzzing in Rei's ears. Without thinking much of her company or her destination she stormed out of the hole, wanting nothing more than to be away, anywhere away, the dagger tight in her grasp. But the witch would not have it.

Majyo stood again, letting the cloth that had been nursing her arm fall to the floor, soaked and dirty. She was smiling still, her head a slight twitch all over the place, and her eyes not seeing much more than a blind man. "Where are you going, Girl? You were not asked to leave." But Rei ignored her, though she couldn't help but hear the crazed ramblings. It only made her pace quicken. "My lord Naraku wishes to see you now. And I will do as he commands."

Suddenly the carved ring around the shack began to glow, giving off a steady white light. Rei stopped then to watch it grow, mesmerized and frightened all the same. She paced around herself stepping mostly in small circles, watching the light seem to surround her. Her grip on the Athame tightened and she felt her heart drop. The ground seemed to open then, a gaping maw in the rocky earth, and from underneath came a hand larger than she. It landed at the ground just at her feet, the earth shook and wailed at the pressure as it pulled itself up, wailing in ways that would wake the dead. Rei fell back as she saw the towering beast, slightly man in its shape, her feet trying to run away all while she moved her body in the direction she'd come. The impact of the hard stones was hardly felt and instead she rolled to face the earth trying to crawl to her feet again.

Sesshomaru watched as the ogre rose from the deep from the corner of his vision and as he turned fully to face it, it was all immerged, reached out its ugly hand to grasp for Rei. He was there with his flash step speed of all great demons, long streams of silver and white behind, along with the sleeve that held no arm, his long diamond point blade already out and flying with him. One fell stroke was just enough to displace the creatures balance, along with some of its chest, and fall to the ground. The earth rumbled under the weight.

Fear eating away at her sensible mind Rei finally found her feet again and simply ran, nowhere in any proper direction, just away. As she did another rumble startled her to the ground as two more of the great ogre beasts rose, sluggish and heavy with all their muscles and weight, their ugly green skin pulled tight around their rumbling chests. Only one had any semblance of hair and their eyes all looked dull and grey with blindness. Rei couldn't stop herself from letting out a scream of terror, unable to control her feeling of desperation.

But again Sesshomaru came. He made a sport of it, finding little amusement in the work but little challenge either. They were toys to him, rather durable ones however. His blade Tokijin would take little out of them in terms of damage, their flesh so hard and thick. But it was enough to take them back, the blade's immense channeling of pressure ripping needle sized blades into their back and arms.

Behind him Rei coward, closing her eyes trying to find herself, but it did little but to make her more frightened. Clutching to blade and sheath against her gave her some comfort. She thought she knew what to do, she imagined this at night many times in her life, but body and mind didn't know how anymore. Part of her thoughts went back to her old imaginings of being in a hospital bed with her mother holding her hand. It was all a dreadful dream. The ogres were just some cruel metaphor her mind had invented, perhaps to punish her. She'd have to look it up in a book of symbols when she had the chance. "Oh Gods..." She heard herself whisper.

A violent thud then reached her ears. She opened her eyes then to find her shield, her savior was no longer before her, but tossed aside by an offending mammoth sized hand. He would be back, she knew he would, he wasn't hurt, she could see it on him, more furious than anything that he'd let such a creature even touch him, but still she ran, ran because her mind and her feet could think of little else to do. Back into the shelter she ran, being unconcerned with thinking it was safe or not. Just wanting away. Anywhere away.

"I told you, Girl. Lord Naraku wishes for you. You will not escape."

Very little of the talk was voice anymore, it was a buzz that melded into slightly tangible words. The witch hobbled forward, as if she'd forgotten how to walk, her body slightly angled up to the right, her left leg dragging behind. Her eyes were white orbs barely hanging on in their holes, somewhat bloodshot. For a moment Rei thought she could see something crawl over them and then back under her skin.

Rei suddenly felt a tapping on her arm, then another, and then more all over. She took her eyes away from the danger for only just a moment, and let out a furious scream. Spiders, black and furred blanketed her arms and chest. They crawled with their usual painstaking slowness, as if watching her with those endless glowing eyes. She began to shake, and not thinking of the danger it would surely cause only wanting the offending things gone, she began to swat them off, shaking her whole body away, and closed her eyes still letting out violent sounds. But when she did she felt nothing there. No bites, no fur, no eyes. She opened her own, and saw that there were none, soon realizing they had never been in the first place.

"Come now, Girl. Tiss only a bit of magick."

In reflex Rei drew out her knife from the hilt Sesshomaru had given her to carry at her side. It had been a battle to get the little knife back, until she'd proven she wasn't going to use it. Even now she wasn't sure she could. She held it with one shaking hand, the other still holding the Athame in its sheath. Though that blade could do much more damage she dare not draw it out, just held it tightly, begging for its protection. "Get away from me!"

"Naraku will have what he desires." The severed hand rose up, it looked black and endless reaching deep inside. It shook as if the skin was thin like gel. Then a wasp of massive size darted out and wagged it stinger around her head. She screamed out till her voice broke in its highness.

One of the ogres lay dead when Sesshomaru heard the woman's scream. One of the demon insects that Naraku coddled and loved so much as his dear pets was circling her. She bobbed and weaved about to avoid its sting and shrieked so loudly it rung like a church bell inside his sensitive ears. He thought nothing of it. For now, one insect was no harm, and even if it did happen to injure her, its poison was easily beaten when the right treatment was given, a treatment he was well aware of. She'd be in inconsolable pain, but she'd live. Another ogre came too close and let its fist fall down hard. One slight step and it was avoided, and he retaliated with a quick downward strike, taking off the arm. The beast wailed in its pain, and Sesshomaru answered with another strike, this time to the leg.

One hard bit of contact with the knife blade was all it took for the wasp to die, thankfully missing the protruding stinger with any bit of her flesh. It fell to the ground in a lump, like bent paper against the earth. Rei breathed heavily nearly falling to her weak knees ready to burst into tears.

"Come."

Rei turned to see the witch, her body melting away and falling to pieces. Already her loose kimono had fallen to the floor in a trail behind her and her hair was spilling to her shoulders and off of her head. One eye fell, bouncing once and then twice. When she took a step forward, she kicked it slightly without intending to do so. Rei began to cower, not remembering the way to run, not that there was a direction to go. The wall gave her little support, and she desperately wanted to call out for Sesshomaru. But then the melting continued. The body that she once called the demon witch Majyo seemed to split in a jagged way. Cocked on her side her skin peeled away in pages, opening wide. The knife that she held so tightly slipped to the ground. She gave a shrill cry of dismay and fear.

The fell ogres came down again, most of their flesh gone away from then and their blood painting the ground, but still they stood. To use the full power of the Tokijin would remove the irritations from his sight but in such a place it would not be wise. Up he went and plunged the diamond blade into the beasts throat, carving away flesh and bone. It did not want to succumb, only until finally it realized it was already dead did it crash down. Sesshomaru had heard the screaming again, but thinking it was only her wailing on about more insects he had ignored it. But when the intense overpowering sound of the demon wasps came to him, he turned.

The demon witch's flesh had split in uneven halves, the inside not full of organs and bone, but walls of the demon wasps. It was a hive, the inside plummeting down as if to the deep earth. 'A portal?' Turning quickly he raced for the shack only to be halted by an invisible force.

"Oh Sesshomaru, you stupid dog, that barrier will not break to your skill. You gave her right to me. You are so deliciously easy to fool." The voice came from what remained of the fleshy mouth, but it was no longer the witch's. Naraku spoke to him now, mocking.

Sesshomaru did not stop. His blade's pressure would break the barrier, he would make certain of it. He watched as from the tip the blue hued needles leapt off the blade, heard the crackling as the touched, felt the resistance that drove itself up to his arm, and cringed when it made no difference at all.

Rei felt a turbulent wind coming from the hive. Though she try to back away from it her body seemed to slide in toward the pit. Though the fleshy body ended the essence inside did not. It was pulling her in. Some of the insects had escaped into the room, some on the walls and some circling her head. Striking out at them only worsened her position.

"Come, my little priestess. I've been waiting for you."

Panicking Rei reached down to find a stone or a beam that would support her, but the shack had no support and the stones let loose from the slightest touch against the mud. She began to scream out curses and pleads. Her weak behavior shammed her, but here she didn't care. Never before had she felt such terror, even when the spider or the walking corpses had come for her had she been so terrified. Now she was being pulled in amongst a casing of insects. Then she heard herself beg. Beg for Sesshomaru. Beg for InuYasha or Sango to be there. Beg for anything to come. But nothing did. She felt her legs leave the ground and drift into the buzzing jaws. Still she screamed. Still she clawed down on the stones till little drag marks were imbedded inside. The insects were around her feet now, then her ankles, then her waist. Only one desperate attempt was still in her to grab onto the outside flesh, hoping that the casing would be strong enough. But it tore away like wet paper.

She gave a final plea in one last scream, then she was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

It was dark in the dungeon apart from the weak rays of light from the sun through some of the small holes and cracks between the rock walls. No sounds except for low whimpers and moans of the rotting and dying in chains. There was nothing to say in this place of death.

Only one other prisoner sat in the corner of this foul cell, murmuring incomprehensible nonsense in the dark. Looking close enough, it was possible to imagine that he had once been a handsome man of the northern isles, high cheekbones, hair a flaming red, and almond shaped eyes of chocolate. But now his cheeks had sunken in his long hallow face, the lines visible from the dirt and dust caked inside. He resembled more of a forgotten beast then a mortal man. He never spoke other than to himself, and most of what he whispered was unable to be heard. But sometimes the conversation would turn to a place he didn't like, and he'd shout uncontrollably looking into the shadows bloodthirsty and would snarl in strange tongues that sounded from the far west of Europe. His name was not to be known. He was never to be remembered once inside the cell.

Rei had been left alone with him for hours. She hadn't remembered what had happened between falling through the swarming tunnel of wasps and being here. Her only inclination to what kind of a situation she'd fallen in to sat beside her in the corner, biting his nails till they bled. It gave her a good idea.

She was chained up against the wall, the length giving her no room to move. She was stretched out, her soles only just touching the stone. Even now her wrists becoming bloodier from rubbing them against the cruel chains that held her to the cold stone. The feeling frightened her, leaving an icy feeling to touch her veins and up her spine. It ached, and she wanted it to stop, but the small spasms it caused her body only made the feeling persist. She'd always hated the idea of damaged wrists. Many years ago a friend had cut them in front of her. She'd fainted. And she was struggling not to do so now.

A sudden noise echoed through the stone as the heavy wooden door toward her left burst open. The first that welcomed the figure standing behind the dimming light was the sickening smell of decay and flesh. She had from the beginning truly known who's cell she was in, but was far too afraid to admit it to herself. "Why hello, Rei, was it? It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

She said nothing, only watched him cautiously.

Naraku smiled slightly at her reaction. He was pleased she was attempting to be brave. From between the belt of the lax robes he wore, he pulled out a dagger, the blade long and shaped downward, the handle roped around itself. He let the tip touch his cheeks, listening to the slight scrape it made echo in the room. "This is your tool is it not?" he asked, waving it before her eyes. "Then come, cast me a spell."

Rei only looked on in an unsure way. "A spell...I don't understand..."

But Naraku only smiled again, pacing toward the corner of the room. "I have learned much of this interesting talent you partake in. From what I understand you claim all humans have the gift of magick. Only some choose to acknowledge and be aware of it." Reaching down he found the collar of the catatonic man, mumbling still. He pulled the man to some semblance of footing, using his strength to support the fool who took no notice to what was occurring. "I have also come to understand that this dagger is never meant to cut anything. But rather, an instrument with which you direct power." Ever so slowly he turned toward the man looking past the stone wall, and plunged the blade deep inside.

Rei couldn't stop herself from crying out a plea. The man did not need to die. He'd surely done nothing wrong. He had gasped when the dagger had pierced him, still unaware of anything but the pain. Then another gasp escaped his lips when the blade was twisted by the wielder, displeased with how long it was taking the prisoner to fall. Finally he did, with a thud that meant nothing to anyone.

A knot formed tightly under Rei's chin. She'd never known anyone die before, never in her presence, never before her eyes. She hadn't even been to a funeral. The tears came down without warning, and she didn't fault them for it. But Naraku brought her back. He was again before her, waving the dagger as if in insult, the beautiful silver blade now dirty red. Some of her tears were for that fact alone she was sure. "Now then Dear. Cast me a spell."

Still Rei could not answer, could not do what he wanted. It just wasn't in her, she didn't know how, not like this. "I...I can't..." Her whimpering was light and gentle.

But he only smiled again. "Do not try to fool me. I know all about you. This blade enough is proof that you in fact, can, do as I ask. I have learned much about your art." He let the blade tilt in his hand, the tip pointing in the direction of the body bleeding out. "I have learned much. The most trained of you, your High Priestesses, could weave miracles with cleverly chosen words. So now I will ask one more time. Cast me a spell."

Shaking her head the tears only fell harder. "I can't okay! Please, I'm telling you I can't. I'm no good at this. I swear."

But Naraku did not listen, only lifted his hand to run his fingers over the soft curve of her jaw. "Now dear girl. One would think that you are not appreciative of the hospitality I have bestowed upon you. I ask only for the simplest of things in return. But I can see you will be difficult. It is unfortunate."

Her heart began to pound a rhythm of fear as he made his declaration and reached again behind his back to loose something from his belt. When he unraveled the short black whip, Rei felt her stomach clench. Tears formed in her eyes again and she just began to shake her head as if it would do some good. She had never had to endure anything of this nature. Roughly he took hold of her shoulders and turned her front to the wall, while she felt the cold iron slip from the tangled wrists and then on again a moment later, straight. She was shaking uncontrollably now in her fright. She was crying heavily now.

Then there was pain. Burning fire ripped across her back, tearing the breath from her very body and sending her into a tense pillar of agony. Then another, and another. Rei almost fell to her knees as the next blow delivered a trailing fire over her thighs. She could feel the little trickles of blood running down to the back of her knees. The next lash snapped, echoing loudly in the empty room. The first of many screams tore loose from Rei's throat. She could no longer stand under the onslaught and the chained cuffs ripped only deeper at the tender flesh of her wrists. It was almost a welcome pain to her mind. For a moment it distracted her from the burning of her damaged body.

He moved away then, observing his work in slow detail. The whip had mostly cut into the dress with every swing, but some fibers had remained. He must've been too gentle with her. "Do you think I enjoyed that? I wanted it no more than you. Now, won't you cease this foolishness and just do as I ask?"

Her breathing picked up as she sobbed, hard and heavy as if in furry, trying to find the power in herself to speak through the pounding haze in her mind. "I can't!" She all but screamed it.

With a sigh Naraku turned away, clearly disappointed. Out the door the went, and for a moment Rei felt she was free to feel the full extend of her pain. Her breaths were coming in pants and she sobbed in torrents. It was a hard cry, the kind only allowed when alone, and she took full advantage. But then the door opened again. She hadn't even heard the sound of footsteps over her own wailing. Naraku stepped in again, his smile so genuine it frightened her. He honestly believed to himself that his actions were just, and she deserved it all. Trying to regain control of her unsettled behavior she looked him over again, wanting to be defiant but knowing she'd failed. Then her vision began to clear when the tears did, and she saw he'd brought a slab of meat in with him. But when he stepped into better view she realized it was not so, but a mace instead. "Shall we get started?"

* * *

Stomping down the long the narrow pathway, Kagura dolefully came to the large wooden door with a bucket of water and some salves. Her mood was none too chipper, feeling herself an ordered servant more than ever now. Though her livelihood had never been a satisfying one, but her degradation now was more than she could bear. It seemed to her that Naraku had moved them all to a mountain top estate just to cause her personal pain. To feel the breeze against her neck while she looked out onto the wide world that she couldn't have simply broke her heart, though she'd never personally admit it to her "father." Instead she would continue to remain in her continuously defiant disposition, and keep her pain buried down on the wind.

Setting down the sloshing bucket she slipped the rusted key into the lock and opened the heavy door wide. She grabbed her things and slipped inside the dungeon chamber. Her eyes flickered over to the terrifying sight of the woman hanging in the chains which held her limp form to the wall. The struggles from the nights before had clearly grown more frantic, the dark dried blood on her forearms told of much writhing and dragging. But the most disturbing part to view was the dull eyes staring at the ground, seeing nothing.

The endless beatings Naraku inflicted on her frail body had finally driven her to the dark recesses of her mind. Once she'd heard stories of a relative who'd undergone painful medical treatments, so she'd had to push it all away and delve into herself to be free of it all. At first, taking her mind away from the moment was difficult, but even with her slight failure she'd noticed he blows had defended, if only slightly. Over the days she'd grown a master in her hiding. Even now she was her fifteen year old self, working at the dog training center she'd spent much of her teen life. Zyzzo was there, still alive unlike now, the most beautiful German Sheppard she'd ever trained, and her most favorite and faithful friend. He'd grown from a puppy to an adult overnight, but never lost his youthful spirit.

Kagura crossed the length of the room in a few easy strides. When the little human chained to the wall made no notice of her presence she took to tapping the girls cheek. "Hey. Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you." Violently she grabbed the round jaw and forced it up so eyes could meet eyes. They seemed to see now. "You've been very troublesome to me." Kagura gave a full survey of the damage. The wounds in her skin weren't for the most part deep, but numerous, they covered her entire body. Even the skin that wasn't gathered and torn lay soaked in red. "However I have been...instructed, to clean your wounds." As she approached the little wretched human's eyes grew wide and began to shake, and drew back against the wall, whimpering weakly, but Kagura just took hold of the fragile shoulder. "I am here to bath you, stupid girl. Would you rather remain in the filth?" But Rei said nothing, only allowed her body to still.

Kagura leaned down and dipped a small bit of cloth into a bucket of steaming water that she brought up first to the deadened girl's face. There was no real emotion there, it was relaxed, natural, be it of an unfriendly nature. Rei watched very closely to every move the cloth made, and twitched slightly when the hot water touched a wound. Now Kagura only meant to wash away the blood. The wounds had mostly sealed themselves over enough that they wouldn't bleed much more. When her task was done, she cast the cloth away and quickly revealed another. This one again she dipped into the steaming liquid, the heat it gave bringing some small relief, but also into a shell of some green paste substance. Not having the power to fight, Rei didn't, and just allowed the woman before her to do whatever she wanted. Regretfully it did sting, especially on the larger lesions, but did little else, so Rei imagined she was safe from it bringing any damage.

When all the injuries were covered in the earthy smelling paste, Kagura took the paste covered cloth and the one died red and dropped them into the bucket, the water turning a strange color. "Do not attempt to remove this ointment. By tomorrow all your damage should be healed and he can begin again. Unless of course you have something to tell him by then."

But Rei said nothing, only furthered through to Kagura's gaze, still watching her with her green orbs of glass.

"You're wasting your time. There will never be an end to this. You are what Naraku wants and he will never deem you a lost cause. The only way this will end is if you give in to his demands, and you will. One day you'll do what he wants to be rid of this torment. Because trust me, he will never end your life in frustration. You will remain here, Witch Bard." The words brought a slight twitch to Rei's steady eyes, and the sight made Kagura smirk. "That's right. I know of you. You tell tales from far off lands. You have seen many places, haven't you?" But again when Rei said nothing Kagura leapt her hand forward to grasp her jaw, oh so lightly and delicately, threatening worse. "Tell me." She was firm. "I am not so patient as Naraku."

Letting go she waited, and finally a frail beaten voice immerged. "Yes." It was a lie, truly she'd traveled very little, but she knew such an answer would earn her another beating, and it was easier just to lie.

"Tell me of them." The request was startling, though Rei let little of it show, Kagura could still tell it was an unexpected response. "I wish to know of far off lands I will never see. Tell me."

For a moment still Rei was thrown, unsure what to say, but her mind drifted to the best place she'd ever herself seen, and it seemed suitable enough. "Across the sea from my homeland are a small collection of islands called the Bahamas, where the water is crystal blue like the sky, and white sand stretches far as the eye can see. The trees are different, they're very tall and thin with no branches on the trunk, just at the very top, like hair. People go fishing all the time, sometimes just for enjoyment, and the sea is filled with fish that only live there. The homes are painted bright colors, they hold festivals every year to celebrate life and freedom, and the people there are genuinely happy, happy for no reason at all. Just happy to be."

Kagura tried to imagine it all but the descriptions were so bitter sweet. There was a lovely picture in her mind of this place, but it only made her wonder if this image was at all close to this true place. She wanted to see it, wanted to feel it. "You've experienced this often?"

"No," said Rei in a solemn tone, "I've only been there once. But I do go to the beach often to swim in the ocean so-"

"You've swum in the sea?" Kagura asked, as if the notion shocked her. Rei only nodded, surprised as well by the reaction. Kagura than herself turned solemn, averting her eyes. "I've never been to the sea. It must be beautiful."

Rei gave little concern for the demoness' melancholy, and looked on again with her steadfast expression. "So go."

Kagura turned back at the girl when she spoke, but only scoffed. "You know nothing."

"I know enough that if there is just something you're aching to do, something you just can't live without that you feel like you'll burst if you don't have then you just have to go out and get it," said Rei, stoic. "Don't you take after your father at all? He certainly doesn't give a fuck he just takes what he wants."

"Don't you dare compare me to him!" cried Kagura, coming within inches, her eyes wide and fangs visible. "You stupid human. You know nothing!"

There was a silence then, Kagura's bellows leaving a lasting echo in the chamber space. "Maybe not," Rei finally said, "But it seems to me that even though you hate him so much, you're scared to leave him."

The offending words reached Kagura's ears and she turned toward the source, aghast with her own fury. "What did you say?"

"He's all you've ever known. If he's gone suddenly there's a big wide world out there and you don't know what to do with yourself. Right now you have him as a shield, an excuse. He makes you do what you do, he makes you this miserable demented person. But the truth is you're scared. Scared to find out if you really are what he makes you do. Scared to see if you like it. Scared to see if you've really naturally become like him. Right now you can keep saying there's greater things out there for you, there's potential, but you never have to go find out if it's true or not. You're afraid of him Kagura, but most of all you're afraid of yourself."

An offending hand came across her cheek, leaving a hot trail and little red gashes from her nails. There was more in her to say, more in her to act out with, but the strain in her body took all she had, and instead she stormed away letting the hard door signal the whole estate of her fury. Rei closed her eyes, and once more drifted into her quiet place, alone again in the dark.

* * *

Each day was much the same. Naraku would immerge just as the rooster would crow. Each blow felt like the first, till she could find the images of her past to run through again. It lasted for hours she thought, though time was mostly gone from her mind. He favored the heavy things. A part of her could register the pain, and she mentally grimaced with each blow, but as long as she gave some evidence that what he did wasn't a wasted gesture, he didn't try much harder. Sometimes she would be brought food. And every night, before he departed from the chamber, he would ask the same question, "Won't you cast a spell for me?" And every night, she gave him no answer. Then he would leave, trying to summon patience to himself.

She said she couldn't, said she wasn't strong enough, and a part of it he believed. He sensed little within her, only but a spark rising here and there during the sessions. At the beginning he found she'd tried to summon something from within her core, a paper thin aura to encompass her skin. She'd called it fast, a practiced art clearly, but it was weak, and did not offer the protection she'd craved it to. She didn't have the skill now, but she was what he required, and had to potential to be what he needed. It all called for patience. Just the patience to see his endeavor through.

Patience was something Rei had much of, patience enough to watch her tormentor every day, listen to him chatter to himself. He spoke most often of the Jewel, what he craved more than anything, what drove him inside his madness. He'd dreamt of the Jewel for so long, almost as far back as he could remember. For he'd never been able to hold it, he spoke of the days watching the priestess he called Kikyo tend to it. It was actually pleasant to hear much of it, for he spoke with a kindly voice, bringing up memories of wind and trees, and sun on the grass, and such forgotten things.

Though the memories were not his own. They were feelings, ones that had carried over into his new life as a demon. He'd come into being only knowing the desires of another that instinct told him were also his to feel. But it didn't waver his appetite, and holding the fragments in his hands only made having the whole repaired Jewel seem all the sweeter. Though not for the power, which he satisfied as a desire of his own, but what it could bring to the born desires he'd come to have from his first breath. Holding the little fair slivers brought no end to the hunger for the thing. Though his commitment to finding them never faded. He was determined still, imagining that having it all finally would release him from the burden. But the thing was eating up his mind, leaving a tormented ache that had become almost unbearable.

All the great secrets in his dark corners had turned to be empty night. To accomplish his desires and the thought of what lay beyond brought him no joy. There would be nothing more to find, nothing worth doing, only sitting on a mountain of bodies and looking out to a land he claimed to own but had no desire to work. He hated the dark, and he hated the light more; he hated everything. But himself most of all.

Rei was vaguely aware of the cessation of the beatings, and Naraku's departure that day. Her head lolled forward and she drew a rattled breath. She hadn't screamed in a while, but her throat felt raw and bloody just as her body. She allowed her mind to be in the moment again but only slightly. She would do this every night, a mental check over her aching limbs and now she could see the full extend of her suffering. There were half healed gashes, some still red, others already a paler color. Yellows and purples colored over with steams of reds, some new and some old. But no matter. In time she would be healed again, or not, little mattered like this. She closed her eyes and tried to slip away, but the sound of the heavy door cracking wide against the stone wall called her back.

"Oh Rei, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Again Naraku immerged through the barely lit passage, a little shadow at his side. The slits of Rei's eyes looked up to see the tiniest of frames, no more than a small child. Her skin was ghostly white and her hair was whiter that, straight and full down past her shoulders. White hibiscus flowers adorned perfectly above her ears, and her small straight plane kimono was much the same. Only her eyes were different, black endless pools of nothingness and despair. They went on forever to see it all, but reflected nothing. Instead she held a little round mirror in her hands, polished and cared glass with a silver frame around. Though she held it delicately in her little hands, it seemed she would never dream of letting it go. It was a part of her, as she a part of it. "This is my eldest child, Kanna."

Rei showed no sign that she had heard Naraku speak, but he had begun to master his sense of patience with her. Instead Kanna glided across the floor, making not a sound. The child surveyed the human woman's damaged body. There were few untouched places without pain, and even those were covered in her thick life giving liquid. Kanna then reached out to place a hand on Rei's stomach.

Her eyes shot open, and a sharp intake of breath made her abdomen muscles contract. The black pits were watching her now, face placid and pale. One of Naraku's redeeming qualities was he'd spoken through most of the sessions. Having continued awareness when danger was around gave her some comfort, silence meant safety. But this girl made not a sound, even when she breathed. She couldn't ignore her, had to watch her every move. So she did, and remained silent.

"You know Kagura well enough by now, my second child. It seemed you should soon meet my first. She had just returned today." Rei only watched the girl, watched the dead eyes that seemed to count the very breaths she took. As usual Naraku was extremely vocal, making keeping part of her attention on him quiet easy. She knew exactly when he stepped away from the child toward her instead, letting his hand trail down her back. His hand was warm. "Kanna is a most magnificent child. Obedient, devoted, loyal. It is a shame my others were not more like her. Instead they are so stubborn. How easily their passion makes them forget their place." He moved both hands behind gently, gathering Rei's hair in his hands and let his fingers brush though, working all the tangles away with slow steady movements. Rei couldn't deny how pleasing it felt, and she was only able to just stop herself from letting out a sigh of contentment. This wasn't right. She almost would welcome the beatings again, simply because she knew what they meant. This put her on her guard.

"Stop."

A smirk traipsed across his thin lips and he let her hair fall back to its place against her neck and shoulders. Then he moved away from her all together, slithering in his controlled slowness, to come behind the child. "Come now, let's not be uncouth. I merely wish you to meet my daughter. She is a miraculous creature you know. Very unique. There isn't another like her in but the whole world. I had believed someone like you would appreciate such a thing. That you would find this marvelous." Naraku would never look at the girl, let alone come too close. He seemed adverse to the idea of touching her.

"I don't." She'd regretted the words the moment they'd fallen from her lips.

He smiled then, more than eager to tell her more. "There is truly endless potential with Kanna's abilities. Just like you. I thought perhaps if you were to simply understand better what is expected you'd be more than willing to attempt, once you realize that it is a very simple matter that need not lead to this...unpleasantness. All I ask is that you simply try. If you fear what you can do is not enough then you must cast that out of your mind. I can't expect you to be so skilled when such a situation has never been called of you before. I am more than willing to be patient with your progress and I'd be more than delighted to aid you in your learnings all that I can. That certainly is an understanding offer. Don't you agree?"

A moment of defiance came to Rei. Though she didn't have to power to speak, she didn't want to. Answering him wouldn't make as powerful of a statement as not. So instead she merely closed her eyes and let her head gently fall.

The fact that he was being ignored was one that wasn't lost on him. But little mattered. In fact he'd expected it. It was always more enjoyable this way. "Kanna can weave interesting magick, just like you, my dear. All with the work of this." He gestured to the little mirror Kanna held between her fingers. She thumbed them over against the silver jagged frame, readjusting it in her grasp. "It is a marvel, this mirror. It can reveal the most deepest parts of the mind. Come now, Kanna."

The child stepped forward, lifting her arms up so the mirror could catch Rei's reflection in its polished glass. Rei twisted uncomfortably against her restraints, her broken wrist shifting painfully in her cold shackles. She had yet to see herself since this had all began, she squirmed at the sight of it. The eerie child and her dead gaze being this close was uncomfortable as well. It was shaky how she never seemed to blink, how her chest never moved for intake of air. The glass eyes captured her like the glass mirror, hypnotic and mesmerizing, trying to put her under its spell. Her will was already all but gone, only a twig waving in the wind, ready to snap if Naraku pushed too hard.

Rei seemed to think Kanna could push just a little harder.

"I don't want to see."

"Nonsense," Naraku said, callously with his fox smile, the sound like a ringing bell. "It is wondrous. The secrets that can be discovered. Perhaps, you'd think differently if you just see."

"I don't have any secrets. There's nothing I have that's worth knowing." Her voice was stirring high again, shaking slightly. Then to her horror, she shouted out, and became hysterical. "I have no power. I've cast maybe one or two spells and they didn't even work. I'm not good at this at all I can't do anything! What more do you want from me?"

His smile, sweet and slow molasses, spreading across his lips, dripping and disgusting. There was satisfaction in him again for his work. There, in the pit of her stomach, rose a spark, something he hadn't even imagined seeing in the last few days. Her passion brought it out. She was a little spitfire, still burning brightly despite his smothering. He would take full advantage of this moment before it was lost to him again. "Now, now, my dear. There is no need to shout. Be still." He moved past the child, to stroke Rei's cheek, purposeful softness there to dismiss her guard. "In time all will be well."

Again he moved aside, letting the now glowing mirror between the pastel little hands become visible from behind. Rei's reflection lit up and twisted, the solid glass melting inside itself and slanting about. As Rei watched a frail noise disturbed her mind. It was little and monotone, soulless and empty as the body it came from. "Reveal your secrets." The light reflected brighter, drawing Rei in. She wanted to look away, wanted it all to be gone from her. It pulled her in, and she felt an ache grasp at her heart.

Naraku stepped even further away, giving room for the events that were to come.

"I promise."

The light expanded inside her heart and pulled her in, fingers wrapping itself around her mind tightly. Rei had to grasp for her breath. The dark obsidian eyes of the demon girl seem to turn blacker then deep space. The mirror contorted around again, and this time into images.

The memories came in bits and pieces as the demon child tore into them with her swirling glass. Rei was a child again, reading books with her mother before bed. She'd always ask for five or six, but when those were done she'd always beg for more. Most of the time she'd win. Then she was a teen, walking through the forest with the dogs she'd trained, sitting in her favorite tree by the river with the roots exposed. It was always beautiful, always comforting. Her favorite Christmas' and all the parties. First friends and old friends, fast friends and still friends.

Rei pulled back, trying to fight. Her memories were her own, not to be tainted by some outside force. Everything was before her in the glass like it were a movie and she did all she could to banish it from view. She resisted, trying to close the link, trying to concentrate on something specific that it could feed off of instead, a different memory or some strange image she'd just invent. But it was all useless, the mirror just dove deeper, the little hands in her mind squeezing till it ached. The mirror showed her past relationships, how they had started and failed quicker it seemed each time. All the little things she'd fallen for that she wished she's known better of. The mistakes she had made in her life, so many years wasted when she'd discovered what she'd wanted so late.

"Stop!" It wasn't in her to beg, but keeping a straight face wasn't in her power to do. All this was hers, all of it was what she'd used as salvation, and this mirror was taking it from her. She continued to scream and scream. Then, finally, the mirror came to one last image. Her last happy relationship. He'd said he would wait for her, and she believed it to be true, right before he walked away, waving.

The glass calmed, went quiet and cold before her, just as Rei's expression turned as empty as the mirror. The child stepped away, and left the chamber behind, thinking nothing of her instructions, her little steps never making a sound.

After Kanna had gone through every moment Rei had ever had, Naraku drew in closer taking a few steps to close the gap between them, letting the back of his hand gently stroke the round of her cheek. "All of this could of been avoided, my dear."

"You bastard," Rei whispered, her dead eyes brightening again, and turning red. "I'm going to kill you." She rose to meet his eyes, gritting her teeth and shaking in resistance. "I'll kill you!"

Naraku let a little smirk fall as he turned away to walk out the door closing it all behind him without another thought.

When the room was silent and dark again Rei let herself break down and sob. She was aching, hungry and broken down. But the one place she thought would always be safe, the only place that kept it all down and kept her sane had been violated before her tormentors very eyes. She tried once more to find a memory, something happy, something in the woods with her dogs, or in the ocean with the fish and the coral reef. But it was as if a shadow had been cast over her mind. Everything was twisted like the mirror had been inside and none of it was hers anymore. It was his now. His to hold over her heart, his to laugh at and cast into the dark. She continued to try, but all she could see was the mirror broadcasting it all, and the wicked smile on his dark face. He was a poison, destroying everything he touched. Naraku had burned her refuge, her oasis in this blackness, leaving her for what she was, a prisoner, stranded and vulnerable against the hard cold wall, the shreds of her clothes only just dangling off her arms and hips, and every part of her in agony. Her chest felt heavy and the pounding she'd felt watching it all in the mirror had faded away to an almost none existent drumming. She had nothing left anymore, and that was how he liked it.

Rei closed her eyes and let the water fall, powerless to staunch the flow. For the first time in her life, there was nothing left but tears.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**

Right's to the series "InuYasha" and all its characters and associations belong to Takahashi Rumiko, and this author is merely borrowing them to create a story for pure entertainment purposes. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer**

Alone. Pitifully cold and twisted. She hung against the wall as a doll, breaths coming in short. Rattling breaths, each gasp as sandpaper grazing the back of her battered throat. As she let in another painful current of air, the expected white hot pain rocked her. She had learned how to take it in slow that it was lessened, but nothing could deafen it completely. But the ache was still there that took all of her body. She was shivering she realized in what little of her mind that still remained, and the ruined rags that still hung on her body were soaked through. Despite this she knew she felt her brow grow hot. Her eyes fell blankly to the ground, empty mirrors in the dark. She tried to remember the last time she'd been in the sun. And failed.

It was the seventh day, or perhaps the eighth. Naraku entered with a particularly glad mood. Today he would try something new for his pleasure. It was only that first day that had brought her such strong emotions, such strong spikes in the energy he could feel. But little had changed since then. Only the presence of the dagger and the sullying of it had brought such a reaction.

For the last few days he had gone to meet his prisoner with his eldest child Kanna by his side. Each day he had torn screams from her fragile throat till it was raw and blood ran down the corners of her mouth. She cried and even began to beg for her freedom but did little else. Today he came alone.

Rei watched the floor blank and desolate, contemplating the short remainder of her days. She'd already died once, but it had been a mostly quick one. She couldn't even remember it. She'd just slipped away, perhaps long before life had actually ended. It had been relatively peaceful, and for that now she was glad. Such luxury was not hers now, and thoughts danced in her mind of pulling harder against the bonds that held her wrists till they ripped in. It would be painful, but no less so then what she felt now. It would be a sure end, and she reveled in it.

She was resolved for her life to be over. In the final days alone in the darkness she had made her peace with it all. The greatest tragedy of her life, she felt, was never publishing her own novel. She'd been writing it, a chapter here or there, tearing them up and starting again. But she dreamt someone would find her pages and finish them in their life one day, and it gave her comfort. She had meant a lot to her friends, she believed, she hoped, and wished them comfort and to remember her in happy days. Her mother would be alone, of course still married but unknowingly so with the kind of father she had. They would likely divorce, which was all for the better, as it was a long time coming. What he would do with his daughter never returning was something she delve into little, but forgave him for never wanting her born. And her mother she prayed would be well, would find happiness again, and never cry when she remembered her, but instead would smile, for that's how she desired to be thought of. Not in sadness and questions, but joy, because that is how Rei remembered all of them. Death would come, she had known that for some time, and it was a thought that brought her no pain.

Just as she'd always wanted it, there were no regrets.

When the sound of the door cracked open she let her eyes rise with a soaring heart, silently praying it was the witch Kagura, who's temper could be easily lit to quickly ending it all. Soon she realized it was no so, and she felt the urge to weep.

"Good day, my dear." He was smiling that devilishly handsome smile that could make a simpler woman crumble to his feet. His peach skin glowed in the dim light, and even as Rei let her eyes fall shut there was a faint imagining of the demon's silhouette in her mind. He approached, placing his fingertips under her round chin, lifting it to his eye level. "You look tired, my dear. Were you unable to sleep?" Lightly he placed her head back where it had been hanging, still looking her over. "This will not do. You heal so little during the night. I shall have to instruct Kagura to tend to your injuries once more. Although I imagine your time has far greater advances in medicine. Perhaps I should return you that you may be healed."

Naraku knew the move was bold. To give away that he possessed the ability to return her home could give her the incentive to cause trouble into the future. Breaking her would have to be done delicately, with a slow, understanding hand for her to perfectly fall into his will. But it was necessary for her to let down her personal barriers if this were to work.

As expected, Rei lifted her head, eyes watered and aware of everything. "What?" she rasped. "What did you say?"

"Why yes," he said, smiling still. "I am well aware you come from another time. I have realized that from coming to know the woman Kagome."

The sound of the delightful name perked up her ears and eyes, and she realized she'd all but forgotten them along with the world outside her torment and cell.

"Yes, sweet little thing Kagome is. She's alive, you know. I'd never let Kagura harm such a flower like that. She's here, actually. Along with her company. You're friends with them, are you not?"

"You're lying!" Rei shouted, moving out as far as her restraints would give her room to. "They would never-"

"Are you afraid?"

His question was so curt she found herself unable to respond. She had to consider the question. "Of what?"

"You don't want them harmed do you?" He asked, already knowing the answer, mocking indifference behind his eyes of coy council. "Is it not harder to accept death when the lives of others are so precious to you? This, for example."

He flashed the dagger and the sight made her heart pulse with ache. Though it looked no different she could tell the change. It was tainted, there was darkness all around, and the blood it had wrongly spilt was dried and cracking along the blade. Glaring she pulled again against the chains that bound her, fire crackling in her chest but only faintly. The sight pleased Naraku, progress was being made, but he'd have to push ever so slightly harder. He turned to her then, jaw slacked that the tips of his teeth were visible in the fair light, looking as human as he could muster. "Why don't I free you?"

The words didn't sound right when they fell out from his lips. They stunned her, and she just watched him waiting for something to tell her she'd misheard. But no sign was given. "What are you saying?"

"I grow tired of this game. You do not mend, in fact you grow weaker by the day. Even if you one day stop refusing me I fear you will be too useless for all the trouble. And that prattle of four brings more bother kept here rather then not. If I chose to, I could free you now. You and the others as well with your blade."

Rei began to imagine that in fact she had finally gone mad. To hear him say such words were that of miracles. Things she'd only imagined in slightly comforting fantasies but never truly believed in. There was nothing to gain from this. It made no sense. Kagura had sworn that he would indeed never grow tired. That he was ageless as was his determination into something he wanted.

He placed a delicate hand against her cheek, the lightest of touches, and her eyes melted into his own, seeking comfort and ease. He gave her that in his stare and then leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"I jest."

She hated this man. From the time of first meeting him till now, that impression hadn't changed. Even when he spoke to his children in conversation, no matter how meaningless, that wasn't what she saw. From the very first moment, she'd broken out into a cold sweat.

His fingertips.

His lips.

His red orbs.

It all reminded her of a hungry spider. He was talking to his daughter Kanna, but still Rei felt as if his hands were around her throat, freezing her blood over. Into the cracks of everyday life his venom spread. Before long, it had penetrated into everything she knew and held sacred. She hated this man.

She had been ready. There was nothing left to want. Nothing to hold her back. But to have even the dream of hope dangled in front of her and taken away with but a word, made her want to live in that small span of time. Her resolve...

Shattered.

Gripping her chains tight her knees gave way and she let out a scream with the power to wake the long forgotten dead. It carried on till she shook from its power, eyes shut tight to stop the offending tears. She shook and shook, letting herself slack further toward the floor, her voice still so loud. The sorrow it was filled with could not be overlooked. Finally the sound broke, her lungs and throat unable to feed her expression of pain, so she continued to strain silently, mouth still open for the air as if there was sound. Naraku watched, smiling in his pleasure. He didn't care that her breaking display lasted several minutes. He felt joy in the sight. When finally all her weight was given to her little wrists as she slumped downward she stopped, head down enough to force her muddled hair curtain her face.

There was nothing left in her eyes. Conscious but motionless. She was empty now. Devoid of everything. Dead with a pulse.

A jarring move.

A quick smooth step.

The cradle of darkness that carried her in some impression of safety rocked and her nothingness was gone.

_Pain!_

A shock of horrible agony stabbed into her thigh. It was replaced with torture. Searing, wrenching, writhing. She cried out, no shame anymore in her actions. Long gone were the days she had ideas of stubbornness and pride. She made no attempt to resist. All she knew was if she waited it would quickly end and be taken away with the hurt. Her eyes sealed tight, holding back tears as a ringing droned in her ears along with her incredible cold ache.

It was moving. Being moved. And she wished only that the motion would stop. It dragged down with controlled slowness, at first moving straight, then jagging away and back. She cried aloud in her anguish, trying to find some strength in herself to remedy the hurt. But all she had ever possessed, her only defense and salvation had been taken. Nothing else was left in her being, and every blow was a reminder of her oasis' defilement, and it rocked her to the core.

The icy tip tore from her flesh, the movement accompanied by more pain that dragged up and down her marred right leg. The limb throbbed unmercifully. For a time her mind was a blank.

She tried to open her eyes, realizing they were still sealed tight. Yes, she was hurt, hurt rather seriously. Her body was pained, all of it, and she ached inside wanting to rush into loving arms to sob away her pains. Furthermore the orbs seemed determined to stay closed tight, and she squeezed them more till they ached.

She supposed it was for the better, for the wickedness she perceived outside herself seemed to hang over her now, and she wished it would all disappear. Holding her thoughts to anything was difficult and she was fighting to piece it all together through the pain. No willingness on her part would pry open her fearful eyes.

What had she been trying to grasp?

It felt so far away. So spaced in her mind.

Oh...yes...!

She had been trying to remember what had brought her here. But memory was elusive and the ringing sound in her ears, her lack of sight, and the spill of pain that wracked her body were doing little to aid her. It was only then that she realized her head was in agony as well, the drumming collating with all her others hurts to make a united profile of suffering. But here, now, she could still discern the separation of the hurts, her thoughts sometimes taking them all over. For that, she supposed, she was glad of it all.

Sound filtered into her consciousness and she again came to remember the presence of another by her side. "Your blade does this damage, do you realize that? How painful this must all be to you. And again I say all of this could have been avoided if only you had listened. This is pain you have inflicted on yourself. My patience has been greatly tested and now I am forced to extremes."

The voice droned on, but the scolding nature of it only seemed to be repeating, a familiar pattern she'd heard time and time again yet gave little concern for. Even now her static mind ignored the discipline. She couldn't make much sense of it regardless of what was being said, and instead she began to once again drift away into the black void of forgetfulness and dark.

_Pain!_

Again it wracked her, this time in her left thigh. Another scream it stole from her beaten throat, her cries louder then the humble moans of earlier. It was quicker this time, with less meticulous desire to cause careful pain. This was rushed, full of budding frustration by the hand guiding the blade that damaged her flesh. In this way she felt the ease wash over faster as well, returning the surge of stayed agony to wash over her delicate form.

"I will not have your defiance. You will hear me!" The voice had grown since last it spoke. It sounded very displeased with her, though she cared little.

She couldn't help the whimper of pain as the blade left her, trying once again to ease the horrible agony that shocked all her nerves and made the suffering of her body that much worse. She tested her limits, to relax herself or to strain brought little comfort either way.

And then the sensation of gentle touches glided up her arm to her wrists, which now she noted were of equal ache and pain. She realized as well they were confined but only when the gentle hand had made it so that she was no longer. First her right arm fell to her side, then her left, her weight then taking her to the floor. Landing against the stone left her in some haze, and she realized in that moment all the torment and pain was gone.

What took its place was a heavy drowsiness that overwhelmed her sick body. She felt a fever in her brain and everything began to pound at once. When her eyes had actually opened she would never be sure, but only now did the colors and shapes come together to mean something in her thundering brain. A man stood over her, kneeling in front of her, holding a blade painted red. He smiled wickedly, waving the deadly tool before her eyes.

"Take it now, my dear. Take it and do as you are commanded to."

She felt her body move again, but there was no pain in company with the activity. Her hand reached out and wrapped her thin little fingers around the braided handle over his.

"That's it. That's it." His voice became a soothing one note, almost a coo, but an unsuccessful one. Slowly he let his strength leave the handle and instead let her use all of hers.

"Now cast me a spell."

She took it then, trying to visualize it over the pound of her head and the lack of clear vision. But it was beautiful, and it felt correct in her hand. She was floating and free. Her mind suddenly was clear, and it felt as if it had never been so before. She became aware of the blade's heavy atmosphere, and an air of blackness seemed to hover around it. She pushed then, letting what seemed to be in her mind white clean energy out of the points of her palm. Like a wave it smashed against the dark force, attacking and smothering it without air. The last of the wave washed the defilement away, and it was hers again, pure and right. Her breathing came to a steady as her eyes found color again, and slowly Rei began to remember.

_**By the power of three times three, make him see, make him see, make him see.**_

The sound that came from her made him pause. It was no tongue he had ever heard, it was lazy, all the letters seeming to fall together in one large word. She had an accent he had never noticed before, it was slightly drawn out, and it had a bit of a twang she tried to hide. It made him feel very uncomfortable. As if he didn't want to be near her. But the feeling was foreign and he couldn't understand why such a sensation had suddenly overcome him. But that didn't stop his body from moving away from her on its own.

"What did you say, Girl?"

Rei found strength in her limbs, now feeling some power with Naraku away from her space, and took to her feet. Blood fell to the floor from her fresh wounds and a few more pieces of her rags fell with it. He watched the fire in her eyes, and again felt the need to move away. From the slight distance he could see the full damage that had been done onto her, sweaty, bloody tendrils of her hair plastered to her cheeks, her limbs permanently scared, unrecognizable from when she'd first arrived. And he felt sorrow.

No. No what a foolish thing to imagine! He had done nothing wrong. It was her doing. He had to in order to summon her strength. Summon the power he knew she had. But that must be what this was. She was using her magick now on him. And indeed it was working. Only then he noticed the aura around her beaten flesh, glowing bright from deep in her core. It matched the fire that burned now all around her. And indeed he had been the one to bring it all out.

She began to step toward him, her bare feet slapping the stones to fill the empty air. Her Athame blade pointed in his line of vision. "Away from me."

_**By the power of three times three, make him see, make him see, make him see.**_

Further back he crawled, losing the strength to do so with every intangible word. His breathing had pitched and the weight of the space seemed to close in. "I said away!"

_**By the power of three times three, make him see, make him see. Make him see.**_

Her last was harsh, it hung around him and his limbs felt heavy. Nothing seemed to happen, she took no more steps toward him and the need to be gone from there did not grow much stronger. But a persistent twitch fell over him, one that he tried to ignore but would not be gone. When finally it became unbearable he tore his eyes away from her flaming green ones to his shoulder. Crawling there was a centipede with little care otherwise. Disturbed by the presence of the thing he tossed it away, only to find it horror that a piece of him was now gone as well.

He let out a small cry of anguish reaching up to touch the forsaken hole in his flesh. But as he did Naraku found that his had held the same insect. Again he brushed it away in his frustration, but this time a finger was gone where the creature had crawled. As he scanned himself in distress looking for an answer only more seamed to immerge from his limbs and hair. They crawled away of their own accord, leaving holes from where they'd come. His body was coming to life, and leaving him. He was falling apart.

Desperately he tried to reach out for the scurrying creatures and bring them to him again. A few he was able to catch and once again absorb, but more would too quickly fall away. He fell on them then, reaching and grabbing in a mad dash of insanity. He watched himself break into pieces, and wailed in his misery and anguish.

Rei watched him crumble to his knees, holding himself and screaming. Whatever had come over him so suddenly she was unsure. He looked no different and seemed to be well, but it mattered little. Her spell had done its work and she was glad of it.

But quickly the thoughts of the situation filled her. He lay there screaming, and not quietly. If his children were still above they would surely be able to hear his howls. They would come, and they would catch her.

The door was heavy when she reached it, and she was vaguely aware of the pain it brought her to walk or move at all, but new energy filled her for the wind and the sun and her body mostly forgot its hurts. When she found herself out of the dungeon corridor she was greeted to a long narrow house, all thin wood floors of a very fair color adorned with blue and yellow paper doors. She had no memory of the place but her feet didn't give her time to plan which door to take. She just ran, gripping the Athame till her white knuckles begged for release.

Finally the longest hallway led her to a door larger then the others, and she could smell the fresh air just beyond the thin veneer. Reaching for the side to slide across a small little sound rang out and turned her blood cold.

"You escaped."

Turning quickly Rei could see the pale deathly girl, her monotone existence still surrendering her breath from her weak lungs. She realized then she had been very loud running about, it was no surprise she'd been discovered. But her heart stopped when the girl lifted the mirror, just as before, letting it reflect how twisted with fear she looked in the polished glass.

"Do not fear. You shall feel no pain."

Again the trinket she held between her hands began to illuminate with a white foggy light, one that seemed to remove itself from the mirror in dancing orbs around. Rei felt her throat grow tight. It was all she could do to keep from screaming.

Suddenly a light burst forth, the thin doors ripping apart with their breach. Rei gasped at the sight of it, a streak of silver past her vision landing atop the girl in white. She let out a slight cry when the beast came upon her the only sound she could make before the glistening fangs of white dug into her small neck. The sound of blood and bone crunch under the powerful jaws pounded in Kanna's ears, and her eyes widened when her lungs could no longer breath. Her vision went dark, and slowly she drifted away into the nothingness.

The mound of white rose from its kill, the blood of rich red bleeding down the snow fur. Muzzle painted, even the dark black nose lay covered with droplets reaching the peaks of its pointed ears. It turned to Rei on its four paws, delicate and light without sound, eyes ablaze with fiery gold. She recognized those eyes, and was overcome with a sense of déjà vu and comfort all at once.

The wolf did not stand there long, instead it quickly bounded out of the hole in the door it had made, stopping only when she did not follow him. At first she held within her no strength to move. She couldn't take her eyes from the pale girl on the floor, the blood from her neck filling the floor. She was a demon, she was a monster, she had been a tormentor, in fact the greatest of all, but she was still a child, and Rei could not bring herself to wish ill on the girl Kanna.

Before she was aware she had ripped another piece of her rags away to wrap around the little neck. It was bleeding worse then it truly was, she quickly realized, and pressed as hard as she felt safe in doing. The little form still drew breath, but it was slow and pained. She wanted to do something, anything. There was little of her left in strength and blood, most on the floor behind her, but she thought little of that now here, with this girl's life blood spilling over her hands. Tighter she pressed, and began to work.

Pushing inside herself she felt her own energy, warm waves crashing against her core, and that's how she imagined them. Pushing still she let the dam flow down her arms, tracking the movement by the feeling of warmth. It pooled in her hands till they felt hot and pulsing over the open wound. Closing her eyes made it easier to visualize. There she saw her hands full of a white light, a light she knew was warm and full of life saving intent. She saw the light move then, move from her hands and wrap around the damaged neck. Like fibers she weaved the hot energy, stitching the skin into completion again. It was slow going. Sometimes she had to stop, knowing she needed to give more when there was nothing left in her hands to draw from. Her body began to ache from the strain by the time half of the stitching was completed, but she was unable to stop. If she did for even a moment she would lose her center, and would be unable to start again. So she let her breathing pick up, trying to dredge up her own body's resources for the task. After much strain the digging had done the job, and the last of the stitching was done. When finally she felt safe opening her eyes, after a few more pulses of white energy from her fingertips, she lifted the cloth from the wound. Delicately with small dabs she removed what remained of the blood there, and no longer could she see the source of it. Not even a scar remained. She sighed delightfully at the sight.

A nudge brought her back to the moment. There, the golden eyed canine sat by her side. He was larger then she'd remembered the first time, he being clean and dry giving him a much greater presence now then when she'd pulled him out of the water in the woods. His eyes were soft and gentle. They told her it was time to go. And so they did.

The first time she stepped out the door the bright light stung her eyes, but she didn't care for the love of it. It was the most beautiful day of her 21 years of life. The light of the sun was more stirring then any lovers embrace would ever be, and the fresh air was better then anything she'd ever tasted. She strolled in a haze of ecstasy, slow and calm, her hand on the head of the white wolf as a guide. He walked her here and there, she paid little attention to the direction, only keeping mind to be aware of her steps.

She was becoming aware of her hardened breathing by the time she came to the flatlands. The walk down the steep incline had not been easy, but the wolf seemed to understand this and took its time with her. But it wasn't the walk from the hilltop estate that had drained all that was left of her, the healing spell had already taken it all. She was running on will alone and that was providing little more. The wolf seemed to be aware because he led her to a small grouping of trees nestled together. She sat there against them, her eyes drifting into darkness.

She was out. She was free. The whole world was before her in a way she had never grasped before. Always the stories she had heard of someone rediscovering life, and never imagined that one of those would be her. But it was. Rei had never felt so alive.

What would she do now? There was so much. She wanted to run with the bulls in Spain and eat atop the Eiffel Tower. Go into the Sistine chapel and pray with the believers, hold their hands, and feel close to something old and powerful. Visit the Isle of Man to search for King Arthur's tomb and dive into the tropical sea. But most of all, she wanted a greasy disgusting burger from McD's. She could almost taste her veins clogging.

"What the hell are you so happy about, you crazy bitch."

A figure in red stood watching her. His robes were thick and bright as a robin's breast. His hair like liquid silver, and eyes reflecting the sun. He was suddenly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "InuYasha."

"You've been a pain to track down," he said, more gently this time. The searching had been frantic from the beginning. But when he'd finally caught her scent drenched in blood he felt himself start to panic. Seeing her there laying back against the trunk gave him the impression of death. Now all he saw was a poor wasted thing, happy that she could feel the grass between her fingers, and he was relieved. "Don't you ever stand still?"

"You...You were looking for me?"

"Course we've been looking for you, Idiot," he said, flashing his cocky smile. She admitted it was a handsome one in the fresh light. Leaning down he came in close by her right side, but was stopped by the white beast who came over her now as a cover, snarling. Before he could retaliate Rei placed a gentle hand on the wolf's crest, moving her fingers in a circular way. It brought out a gentle rumble from his chest. The wolf calmed then under her soothing fingers, giving InuYasha the opportunity to move in again.

As gently as he could, being aware of all the hurts that littered her diminutive little form, he slid his arms underneath. One arm under her knees while the other moved to cradle her shoulders. Slowly he moved her to his chest, giving a slight squeeze for stability. When certain this action was causing no more pain to her, he began to move.

With her eyes closed she felt no sense of the racing motion, just the breeze easing her forward. Silently she let her head fall against his chest, hard and toned even through the thick layers of his clothes. She was safe with him and knew he would keep it just so. Rei let out one final sigh before the rest of the journey drifted away out of clear memory with her heavy eyes. It was the best sleep of her life.


End file.
